


So Sweet and Achingly Innocent

by Tempest_Rising27



Category: Harry Potter - Fandom
Genre: Age Difference, Charlie Weasley - Freeform, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, First Time, Fluff and Smut, Gryffindor, Hogwarts, Hufflepuff, Kissing, Love, Masterbation, Original Female Character - Freeform, POV Charlie Weasley, Romance, Sex, Smut, student, teacher
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:14:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 47,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22283926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tempest_Rising27/pseuds/Tempest_Rising27
Summary: As a favor to his mentor, Charlie Weasley returns to Hogwarts as a professor. His sinful desires get the best of him when he falls in love with a beautifully shy student. Innocence has never tasted so sweet..*Warning-Detailed smut and swearing. Story for mature audiences only.*
Relationships: Charlie Weasley & Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 3
Kudos: 27





	1. Sweet

"You know that I'm obsessed with your body,   
But it's the way you smile that does it for me."  
-Cigarettes After Sex

•••  
I'd only been back at Hogwarts for a week, accepting a position for a semester as the Care of Magical Creatures professor while my old friend, Hagrid, took a sabbatical. I arrived towards the end of January and would carry on the lessons until summer, then go back to Romania to continue with my career as a dragonologist, which is my true passion. For the time being, I would miss it, but I was happy to help out the person who helped me learn and achieve my goals, putting me where I am now in my life.

It was amazing being back, the memories flooding my mind as I walked through the halls of Hogwarts for the first time in almost 10 years. Being immersed back in the excitement and wonder of what it was like to learn magic all those years ago, instead now to teach my passion of magical creatures to the next generation, which was already feeling rewarding. I felt at home here.. It was as if my heart never left. Especially when I walked back onto the quidditch pitch, where I relived my glory days as seeker and captain of the Gryffindor team. Being able to enjoy a quidditch match again was amazing. Now I would get to play every now and then, joining in a game with the students on weekends, offering my advice and techniques that helped me win so much when I was younger.

Using my knowledge about magical creatures, being in the outdoors, in my element, made me feel overjoyed. But what I wasn't expecting was to fall in love when I came back to Hogwarts.. Accepting this temporary teaching position changed everything.

•••

"Professor Weasley?.. May I bother you for a moment?" A soft, sweet voice spoke from the doorway of my office, making my cock shamefully harden instantly. I look up, and my eyes are met with the kind, beautiful, and intense green eyes of Michaela Peralta. My favorite student. She was an angel. One who's innocence I wanted to be mine..

I felt the urge to kick myself every time I saw this stunning beauty. I'd only had a few classes with her but was already thinking about her constantly. She was in my advance classes, being a 7th year, and set to graduate at the end of the semester. I had her in my regular 7th year class in the mornings, then she and four other students who wanted to advance into a serious career with magical creatures would come at the last two hours of the day, studying the rarer animals.

The first time I laid eyes on her, my breath caught in my throat as I was giving my introduction to the advance class that first day, making me stutter and blush, something I never do.. She smiled up at me from her spot by the fence, where I was teaching class out near the forest that morning, and my mind went blank.

Sparkling, sea green eyes, full, pouty lips, and an ivory complexion dotted with the cutest freckles made up the most beautiful face I had ever laid my eyes on. Her hair was a gorgeous shade of natural red, like a mixture of colors from the leaves in autumn. The thick, dark auburn ringlets were long, cascading down her back like a waterfall made of fire.

It felt like I had stared into her eyes for an eternity, but had only been a few seconds, and I shook my head, catching myself, continuing on with the introduction to my new students.   
I was surprised at how well I made it through that class, trying to keep my eyes and mind off of the young witch who had captured my focus so quickly. I got to know my new students, and discussed the curriculum for the rest of the year, explaining what I expected out of them, then brought out some creatures for us to study.

While I supervised the class as they worked and took notes on the animals, I took a small chance to glance over at Michaela while she worked with her friend. This class was a mixture of students from different houses, but from the school scarf around her neck I quickly worked out that she was a Hufflepuff. It was January, so she was dressed in her winter robes and with cute, yellow earmuffs over her ears. She had the most beautiful smile, and the girl she was talking to said something, presumably inappropriate, because she blushed deeply, making her cheeks redder than the cold had already done.

I had never been attracted to women much younger than me before.. I normally was too focused on work and my family to have a relationship, and since the Battle of Hogwarts a few years earlier that had taken my brother, Fred, I hadn't had the emotional energy for anything serious with a woman. I had my needs met with short flings, but other than that, no woman has ever caught my attention enough and held it to make it last. I felt guilty for treating them this way, but I made it known up front when I took a date home that I wasn't in it for long term, which made things easier.. most of the time.

Being 28 years old and unmarried made my mum quite unhappy, and since losing Fred, with all the other kids grown up, and well on the way to being married if they weren't already, she focused her energy on me. I got owls every week, sending a letter about an acquaintances' daughter she wanted me to meet, or a lovely girl she met while out shopping in Diagon Ally. I appreciated her caring about me settling down, but I just wasn't ready for it yet..

Hearing a commotion from another group tore my attention away from Michaela and thoughts about my past, and I hurried to help a young man that had aggravated his group's creature and gotten himself bit. After taking care of his small wound and sending him to Madam Pomfrey, class had come to an end and my chance to learn more about the Hufflepuff girl who had captured my attention so easily was stalled for the time being.

By the end of the week, I had learned a few things about Michaela, which made my affection for her grow. She was extremely shy, but good natured. Though she didn't put herself out there to talk to her peers much on her own, students seemed to want to be her friend. She had a glowing personality and lovely smile that made you want to get to know her better. Along with her beauty and demeanor, her American accent made her interesting to talk to. Being the only student from the states was intriguing, even though she had been there for years now. People, including myself, were curious about her.

I wanted to know how she came to be here at Hogwarts instead of studying at Ilvermorney, but I forced myself to engage in as little conversation with her as possible, because I knew being attracted to a younger girl, nonetheless a student whom I taught everyday, was something I couldn't do. It made me feel like a pervert in every sense, even though she was of age. She turned 18 a few days ago, which I had learned while overhearing a conversation with one of her friends after class one day. So far I'd only spoken politely to her enough to give assignments and teach, but the need to get to know Michaela grew every minute I was around her.

She was smart, impressively so, and her dedication to magical creatures matched my own. She wanted to work with dragons, and also write novels once she graduated, I had discovered about her as the class went around making their own introductions to me that first day, explaining what they wanted to do when they left Hogwarts. Michaela's response made me smile, and the idea of her working with me on the dragon reserve in Romania was becoming a pleasant fantasy I indulged in every night as I laid in bed.

So far, besides the polite, professional conversation, I had yet to be alone with the sweet girl, but that was inevitable now, as she was standing in front of me, hovering in the doorway to my personal office. "Professor.. d-did you hear me? I'd like to speak to you about our homework assignment, if that's alright.." Michaela said in her adorable accent, a nervous, shy edge to her tone as she addressed me again. I blushed, embarrassed to be caught staring at her, and quickly began to apologize. "Yes, please, come on in, dear. Take a seat. I'm sorry, my head is a bit in the clouds today. Working inside because of the storm has thrown me off some. I'm used to being outdoors constantly." I smiled as I explained, and motioned to the seat by my desk. "How can I assist you, Miss Peralta?" I asked while leaning back in my chair and turning towards her.

As she sat down, I took in her attire, and my face heated all over again. Though I may have fallen for her sweet, innocent face, I had only seen her in the winter robes that were worn while outside in the cold, bundled up in a scarf, gloves and ear muffs. But today, being inside the warmth of the castle, she wore her school uniform, a more relaxed version since it was Friday, and classes had ended. I had never seen her in a skirt before and Michaela's toned legs were doing things to my body that I hadn't felt in years, if ever.

She was a short girl, only about 5'2, and her head barely came up to my shoulders. I moved my eyes quickly over her form, enjoying the view immensely. She wore her white school shirt, a few buttons undone with her Hufflepuff tie hanging loosely around her neck. The barest hint of cleavage was visible, and made my heart beat faster as I continued my gaze downward. The tight shirt accentuated her breasts, and I was sure they were perfect handfuls, enough to fill my large, calloused hands with. They looked full, perky, and made my mouth water, because I could see her tiny nipples straining through the light cotton fabric. My office had a slight draft, and the fireplace mainly heated the other side of the room, so I assumed she was somewhat chilly. She left her shirt untucked, and it flowed over her black skirt, which seemed shorter than I remembered them being when I went to school here. It fell gently over her thighs, and landed a few inches above the knee. Michaela had an hourglass figure, not extremely skinny, but instead had sexy, luscious curves. Her hips and tight ass were extremely noticeable in the little outfit she wore.

Adding to the school girl fantasy, her gorgeous auburn curls were done up in two low hanging pigtails, with a few strands framing Michaela's pretty face and gently falling over her shoulders. To top off the look, she wore long black socks that went up over her knees, leaving a delicious amount of skin showing on her thighs, enough to tease and flame my sex drive. 'The face of an angel, and the body of a goddess..' I thought to myself as I prayed I could stave off my erection until she left.

She sat down, bending slightly in front of me first to sit her school bag on the floor, and the sight of her ass in that tiny skirt made me want to get down on my knees and worship her body like it deserved. 'Check yourself, Charlie, you god damn, perverted git.' I mentally scolded myself and then turned on a more serious expression before she turned around.   
Michaela blushed as her eyes met mine, and the shy, adorable smile I'd grown to enjoy and desired to be in the presence of threw me off my game again.

She had another look in her eyes, something rather warm, and tempting. Her soft lips parted and she took in a breath as her eyes went up and down my body almost too quickly to notice, but I did, and my body heated at the thought of her being attracted to me too. I knew the effect I had on women. I'm modest but not oblivious to the looks I get. Working in the field that I'm in, I have to be in shape. My body is strong and toned, with large, muscular arms. The white, collared work shirt I was wearing with my black slacks did little to hide my chest and abs.

Along with my sleeves rolled up to my elbows, I could see why Michaela's perfect mouth parted in surprise. I had yet to showcase the tattoos and various burns from dragon fire that were permanently etched into my skin to any students. I had even more on my back and chest. An intricate swirl of dragons, flames, and scars covered my body underneath my shirt. Not exactly professional to be showcasing them to everyone, so I normally wore long sleeves and jackets to hide them.   
My famously reddish/orange hair that all Weasley's were known for was long, most of the time unruly, so I tried to keep it tied back. Since I was grading papers, I had been a little frustrated and kept running my hands through my hair, so some of the strands had come loose from the tie that I used. So yeah.. I may be qualified for this teaching position, but I'm far from looking the part.

"Uhm.. I w-wanted to ask.. y-you.." she stuttered nervously, which I found adorable. Looking down into her lap, she twisted her hands, fiddling with a garnet ring she had on her right ring finger. "I'm sorry, sir.. I-I mean Professer Weasley. I don't mean to s-stutter. I.. get nervous. Around new people, I mean." She explained, her cheeks heating even more from embarrassment. I felt bad for making her nervous, but I'm not going to lie to myself about how hot it was, hearing her call me sir. I've always had a dominant personality in the bedroom, and seeing this shy, achingly innocent young girl made me want to take her to my room and see how sweet and submissive she could be. Fuck, being alone with her was proving to be difficult, and it had barely even been a few minutes.

"Don't worry, Love.. it's quite alright. My younger sister used to be shy like you. I'm used to it." I explained with a reassuring smile as I rubbed the back of my neck, then made myself do a quick stretch of my arms since I'd been cooped up at my desk for too long. "It's very endearing. But I want you to feel comfortable around me. You can come to me about anything you need to discuss. I want all of my students to feel welcome."

"Th-thank you, Sir. I was.. um, having trouble with the essay I need to write that's due on Wednesday. I don't feel like my notes are sufficient enough. Do you have any books you could recommend? I've only found one on the subject, but it's not very.. updated." Michaela questioned, a cogitative expression on her face. She was very studious when it came to her work. Before I could answer, she moved to cross her legs, and from where I was sitting, I caught a glimpse of skin and something light blue underneath her skirt. I gulped, trying to force myself to breathe, which was becoming more difficult the longer I sat in this small room with Michaela. The movement also caused her tiny skirt to slide further up her legs, gifting me with more of her body to look upon.

"I.. uh, let me think.." I pretended to contemplate a book to save face, like I just hadn't seen the flash of paradise that I was dying to bury myself in. "Oh, I think I have a few books in my inventory. Here's one of them." I said as I opened up a drawer in my desk. It was one I had read a dozen times, so I knew the exact pages she needed to read.

"The other book I have is up in my room. If I see you around dinner time, I'll hand it off to you. Let me get a piece of parchment and I'll write down the chapters with the most information. Though you can keep the book as long as you need, Miss Peralta. It's informative and a very good read. I'm sure you'll enjoy it."   
"Thank you so much, Professor." She said gratefully, with that enchanting smile I was coming to need in my life everyday.   
"Not a problem, Love." I accidentally let the endearment slip again, and I bit my lip, worrying about being too informal.

"Let me write a few of these down. Do you mind staying here a moment, so we can compare what you know already? I'd hate for you to have to go over information you've already learned." I spoke, stupidly trying to come up with a way to keep her here with me longer. I didn't want her to leave just yet.. "That would be great, though I don't mind rereading this stuff. It's great to review." Michaela reassured me. "Perfect. Could you slide your chair over here so you can see more clearly?" I asked, to which she agreed and began to move closer. This turned out to be a mistake on my part.

The proximity of her took over my senses. I felt the energy between us, or imagined it, possibly, and the smell of her shampoo drifted towards me, making me breathe in deeply. Michaela smelled of Lavender, one of my favorite scents, and whenever she turned towards me to talk, I detected a hint of cinnamon. Everything about her was mouthwateringly intoxicating.

I began to explain the subject matter, jotting down some notes for her to go over later as we flipped through the book together. Michaela leaned in closer, eyes on the page we were looking at, and I felt her thigh press into mine, but she didn't move away.. I don't even think she noticed, but every nerve in my body felt awake from our first physical contact. "So, uh.. all this information seems fairly new to you but it's pretty easy to understand. Think you'll be okay?" I asked, realizing that I probably needed to get some air. Or stroke my cock to the thought of her spread out on my bed... Whichever calmed down this erratic energy I was feeling first.

"Yeah, I think I got it. I really appreciate your help, sir.." Michaela offered her gratitude again, and my cock perked up once more at the sound of her tempting voice calling me sir. I moved to offer her the parchment, finally looking Michaela in the eyes since she sat closer to me, and I realized just how close she was sitting. My face was mere inches from her own, and her beautiful green eyes went wide at the realization, causing that tempting mouth of hers to open some, quickly giving me another fantasy of sliding my cock between those soft, plump lips.

I knew I wanted her then, and I don't think I would be able to stop myself unless she told me no. I had to figure out how to make her mine.. My eyes moved from hers, down to her sweet lips, hovering there for a moment, then I dragged them up to face her again. I noticed she had some of her pale pink lipgloss, barely smudged by her hand, which I had seen shining somewhat on the left side of her hand earlier, now connecting the two. Feeling like I was in some kind of trance, my eyes stayed locked on hers as I brought up my right hand to take hold of her chin lightly, tilting her head up to face me. I heard her gasp quietly, but couldn't bring myself to stop as I very slowly slid my thumb along the bottom edge of her pouty lips. I was in no hurry to stop touching her, my gaze locked onto her mouth, holding my hand there gently, and I then caressed her cheek before clearing my throat and pulling my hand away from her flaming skin. The heat from her blush still felt real on my fingertips as I moved away, and I offered up an explanation for my reckless display of highly inappropriate affection.

"S-sorry, dear. You had some, uh, lipgloss, I believe. It was lightly smeared from your hand earlier, I'm guessing. Barely noticeable, but I just.. thought I'd fix it for you. I apologize for invading your space, I wasn't quite.. thinking clearly." I confessed as honestly as I could properly manage without outright telling her my feelings. My voice sounded dark and heavy, deeply full of lust that I'm sure was just emanating from me. My cock felt unbelievably hard by this point, and I shifted in my seat, trying to move it before she took notice of my condition.

This shy, little girl before me kept blushing, but managed to speak finally. "It's okay.. thank y-you for f-fixing it." That adorable stutter made another appearance, and I was curious of whether or not she would stutter again if she was moaning out my name while I had my hand buried inside her light blue panties, stroking her innocent skin. These sinful fantasies just kept on coming like a runaway train, and I needed to work through them if I was ever going to be able to get through this conversation without bending Michaela over my desk to fuck her.

"You're welcome, Miss Peralta.. if you need anything at all, don't hesitate to ask. I'm here for you.. I'll, uh.. be sure to track you down in a little bit to give you that other book." I offered again, the thickness in my voice not fading. I craved her and it wasn't going to cease for tonight until I went to my living quarters to pump my hardness until I came to the thought of Michaela in all of these indecent positions, under my control. I handed her the book with the paper inside, and our hands touched again. I felt sparks and she locked eyes with me once more, and this time I knew she felt it too. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips, and she took a deep breath, taking hold of the book and hugging it to her chest as she got up to leave. "I'll uhm.. see you later tonight, Professor. I appreciate your kindness." Michaela smiled sweetly, a look of slight confusion on her freckled face.

She stood there another moment, contemplating something, and all I did was watch her, curious about what she would say next. I made the move to glance down her sexy body again, not hiding my gaze, and I saw her actually squirm some as I stared her down, and witnessed her squeeze her thighs together for a moment. I would bet my life that her little pussy was wet for me. I've seen that squirm before, but never on a girl as young and beautiful as Michaela. The thought of me being the cause of her pretty panties getting soaked sent my world spiraling. I licked my lips, feeling a need to quench my thirst, but knowing water wouldn't do.

"Did you need something else from me, Sweetheart?" I asked her, need for Michaela evident in every syllable I spoke.  
"N-no.. I.. just wanted to tell you that, uhm.. I like your tattoos. You shouldn't cover them up, Professor. They look amazing." That exquisite blush of hers graced Michaela's cheeks yet again, this time spreading down her neck, and I glanced down, seeing her perfect nipples were undeniably hard under her shirt.   
I gave her a smirk, enjoying the unexpected compliment. "Thank you, Miss Peralta.. I'll keep that in mind. I'll see you tonight..."   
She nodded, picking up her bag, and gave me one more delicious view of the most perfect ass I'd ever seen, then walked out the door.   
This little girl was going to have me wrapped around her finger, and she didn't even know it yet.

I was absolutely screwed.   
•••


	2. Untouchable

"Untouchable, burning brighter than the sun,   
And when you're close I feel like coming undone"  
-Taylor Swift

•••  
After finishing the last few papers that needed grading, and taking the time to return to my room for an overdue session with my right hand, my mind still couldn't get rid Michaela's face. It was like her image had taken up all the space available, causing me to barely handle thinking of anything but her.   
I had stroked my cock, edging myself, trying to enjoy the pleasure of imagining the dirtiest images possible of my delicious, little Hufflepuff naked in my bed.

Just even thinking of her as more than my student had guaranteed me a ticket straight to hell, and this innocent angel was going to send me there first class. Wondering what Michaela's perfect moans would sound like as I toyed with her clit and pushed into her sent me over the edge, causing me to deeply groan her name through my gritted teeth.   
It had sated my urges for a little while, but by the time dinner had come around, I was ready to go back to my room for round two.

I saw Michaela there, eating with her friends, and she looked as beautiful as ever. I tried not to stare too much, especially since Professor Flitwick had sat down next to me and struck up a conversation about the frog choir songs he decided on for the next performance. I attempted to be polite and listen in, but even glancing at the sweet girl as she ate was becoming a problem for me.. Michaela had scooped up some cream from her dessert and then delicately placed it onto her tongue, licking it slowly to savor the taste, then lightly sucked the remainder of it from her finger. It was the most erotic thing I had ever seen, and she wasn't even trying to be sexual. If this young girl ever tried turning me on purposefully, there's no telling what it would do to my libido. Michaela was already ruining me for other women and I couldn't even have her.

She talked to her friends some more, and I ate my dinner, trying my hardest to seem interested in the conversation I was having but was more than grateful when Professor Sprout began talking to Flitwick, which pulled the focus from me. I was lost in my own thoughts, thinking about the letter I needed to write back to Romania about updates on the new rescues, when I chanced another look at Michaela's table again. She was taking a sip of her water, and then looked towards the Professors' dining tables, causing our eyes to lock on one another.

I witnessed that beautiful blush spread to her freckled cheeks, and she glanced down quickly before looking back up into my eyes to smile shyly at me. This gave me a delightful feeling, knowing that smile was meant for no one else... I bit my bottom lip slightly for a moment, then smirked kindly back at her as I nodded my head once in greeting, which only made the young girl blush more. Michaela then held up the small paperback book I had lent her, then mouthed the word 'book' at me with her eyebrows raised. Nodding once more I picked up the other book I had brought with me and pointed to it, smiling at her again.

The dining hall had begun to clear out at this point, with everyone wanting to go spend the last of their time before curfew elsewhere. I began to get up but realized Michaela was holding up a hand, motioning that she would be back, since her Hufflepuff friend was dragging her towards the door. I figured I would find her later to pass on the book so I gathered my things and walked out. As I was rounding a deserted hallway on the way to my room, I ran straight into a small figure, who almost fell backwards from the impact, so I quickly reached out and steadied the person with my arms wrapping around their waist, pulling them close. Only to realize that it was the object of my affection that I had caught..

"Miss Peralta, are you alright?" I managed to speak evenly, concern showing in my voice, even though Michaela was right in my arms. Frankly, I was surprised that I was even standing at this point, because her flawless body was pressed tightly to my chest, and when her bright, green eyes stared into mine it felt as if the entire world was in my hands.   
Her face was inches away from mine, and I wanted to bring her even closer..

"Y-yes p-professer, Sir. I think I'm f-fine." The adorable stutter she possessed worsened some from our new and intimate encounter. Michaela's eyes never left mine as I held her in my arms, causing me to get lost in a sea of green that I was more than happy to drown in. "I'm sorry, Love, I wasn't watching where I was going.." I trailed off, hands still holding on lightly to her curvy hips. It took me a second to clear my head and come to my senses, but I quickly, albeit regrettably, took my hands off of her. "I-It's okay.. I wasn't either, ya know?" She blushed again, and I smiled, enjoying every moment I was able to cause her lovely face to heat up.

"And I'm s-sorry I kinda r-ran off a little while ago.. My friend needed help finding her wand. She's always losing it." Michaela smirked and let out a small giggle, covering her mouth to hide her smile as she did so. I noticed when she laughed or felt more at ease, the nervous stutter would start to fade some. In the back of my mind I thought if I helped Michaela to become more comfortable around me, maybe it would cease to exist. I also wanted to find out what made this smart and beautiful young woman lack the confidence she so deserved to have.   
I wanted her to see how enchanting she was in my eyes.. and in everyone's.

"It's okay, Michaela, it's good that you helped your friend first." I said, offering a gentle laugh at her friends forgetfulness. She seemed surprised for a moment, making me wonder if I had said something wrong.. "Oh, you know my n-name? My.. f-first name, I mean?.." She stumbled over her words, cheeks darkening, dropping her eyes downwards. "Of course, dear, you're one of my best students. It's hard to forget you.. But I'm also very good at remembering names, even though I mostly call people by their surname to make it easier. Would you prefer I call you something else?.. I don't mind, Miss Peralta." I reassured her, offering a charming smile while putting emphasis on her last name. I enjoyed saying it as well, because it sounded enticing and rolled off the tongue so easily..

I didn't think it was possible, but Michaela's ravishing ivory skin turned an even more deep, rather alluring shade of pink.. I could imagine her underneath me, unable to hide any of her emotions, giving them away to me by the telltale sign of her skin as she wrapped her legs around my hips. Even the most simple act of needing to make love to her consumed my thoughts, especially at the most inopportune times.. "Uhm.. M-Michaela is f-fine, Professor. I like it, c-coming from you." And she froze, realizing what she just said. My salacious inner heat for her grew, but I kept my face neutral as she went on. "W-what I m-meant to say, is t-that I.. Well, I don't get called that by my t-teachers a lot.. You're a bit more.. informal. Which is delightfully refreshing, if I'm being honest, sir.. I just wanted t-to let you know, even though I do miss Hagrid, you've been a nice.. change of pace. For all of us. It's easier to, uhm, relate to you, I guess.." Michaela trailed off, unable to look me in the eyes after her confession.

Placing a hand on her shoulder to express my gratitude, I thanked her. "That was so kind of you to say.. I didn't realize how much I needed to hear that, dear. I've been worried about taking up this position and wasn't sure if I was up for the task.. but it warms my heart knowing that you and the other students enjoy my lessons. I'm honored to have the opportunity to teach you all." I finished, my voice becoming a bit raw with emotion that I didn't expect to bubble up. I don't normally like to let my insecurities show, but with.. With Michaela, I was feeling more comfortable around her every moment she was near. Maybe I was the one that needed her help to feel better about myself..   
Just being in her presence made my soul feel lighter.

She looked up into my eyes, and took my breath away, smiling appreciatively at me. I realized I could stare forever, allowing myself to be swept up in her gaze for as long as she wished.. In the distance, a clock suddenly chimed, signifying that it was almost curfew for the students. "Oh my, I might be late. I forgot the time. I have to go all the way to the dungeons.." Michaela furrowed her brow, concern showing. "It's alright. I'll escort you to Hufflepuff House. If your prefect gives you any trouble just tell her I had to go over one of your assignments with you. Which reminds me, Love.. Here's your book." I passed her the item that I had forgotten in my hand.

"T-thank you, Professor Weasley.." she said softly, our hands briefly touching as she accepted the book. "But, sir, you don't have to escort me.. I don't want to put you out. You've already gone out of your way to help me." Michaela tried to be polite, but I wasn't going to have any of it. "Dear, it's late, and I have the time. Also, your house is right next to the kitchens, and I was tempted to go get some tea and biscuits to take with me back to my room. I plan on staying up a little late tonight, reading." I offered, and Michaela seemed to concede. I placed my hand on her lower back, urging her to walk in the direction of her house, and we began to make our way down to the dungeons.

After moving my hand back to my side, I could have sworn that Michaela had a slight look of disappointment, but she hid it fairly quick and smiled at me as we started to talk some more. "So, Professor.. c-could I ask you a few questions about the dragon sanctuary in Romania?.. I-if you have time, I mean.." She bit her soft, bottom lip, waiting eagerly for a response. "What would you like to know?.." I smirked, the excitement building in me at the idea that my fantasy of her coming to work in Romania could become a serious possibility.

"Well.. I'm hoping to have the opportunity to work there after I graduate Hogwarts. P-possibly begin by apprenticing one of the Dragonologists. I was just unsure if they had any openings.. I thought you would be the best person to ask, sir." Michaela looked up at me with timid, but hopeful eyes. My heart felt as if it were doing somersaults, and I tried to calm it before I revealed how excited I'd become. "Actually, Love, when I go back, I'm most likely going to need to hire an assistant. Basically a trainee, but you have to work with a fully trained Dragonologist for almost two years before you're qualified to become one yourself." I explained. It wasn't a lie, since I had originally been without an apprentice for three months before I came back to Hogwarts. Murtagh, a young man from Scotland, had to go home to take care of his mother who had fallen ill. He was a great worker and I had yet to find someone to fill his shoes.

"So you're saying there's a good chance that I'll have the opportunity to apply as your apprentice?" Michaela's voice sounded higher than before, her own excitement evident. "As long as you keep your grades up this semester and pass your final exam, which I don't see being a problem at all, then you'll most likely be my top choice.." my offering clearly had an effect on her, because the normally shy and reserved young girl before me let out the cutest, most endearing squeal of excitement I had ever heard. This action then led to a surprising embrace, when Michaela pulled me into a hug by wrapping her arms around my waist, squeezing me tightly.

I patted her back, trying to be appropriate when all I wanted to do was pick her up and take her back to my room.. "Thank you, Professor Weasley. I-I know it's not a guarantee.. but I am so grateful you're giving me the opportunity to prove myself to you. I won't let you down, sir." Michaela said as she buried her face in my chest. I looked around and realized we had stopped at a secluded corner in the dungeon near the kitchens. Seeing as it was empty, I let myself give in to the embrace from my student, if only for a moment.. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders, giving her a light squeeze, and rested my forehead against the top of her head. The lavender scent began to pull me in and I had to deny myself the need to kiss her hair..

When she pulled away a few seconds later, it felt as if my heart had fallen. But when she looked into my eyes, what I saw made it break in two. The sweet angel had tears in her eyes, and one had slipped down her cheek. Michaela tried to turn away to hide herself but I pulled her back by her hip and brought my other hand up to turn her chin to face me.   
"Sir, I'm sorry, I need to-" she began, but I didn't let her finish. "Why are you crying?" I demanded as gently as I could, and brought my hand to her cheek to wipe the rouge tear away. "Tell me, Michaela. I'm not allowing you to go back to your dormitory until you do.." Though I wasn't sure if I could actually make her tell me. But it would kill me not to know why she was upset. I would do everything in my power to bring that smile back to her face.

The intensity from my gaze must have been too much for her, and she lowered her eyes, squeezing them shut to prevent more fresh tears from falling. But she spoke then, which was further than I thought this conversation would get. "I was worried I would have to go back home to the states after term ended.. I love my family, don't get me wrong.. and my Great Aunt Charlotte from London, whom I moved in with when I was 10 so I could get my letter and go to Hogwarts instead.. She said I could continue staying there if I wanted. But I didn't want either, and was trying to figure out what I desired to do after graduation.. The need to be on my own, to go on a new path, has been weighing on me. For months now I knew I wanted to go to Romania to research there but had no idea how to go about that.. but then you practically fell down from the heavens. I was terrified to talk to you about it though.. but you seemed so kind and made me feel confident enough to ask and now you're letting me apply. I can't believe I might actually get to do this.. I'm sorry for crying, Professor, but I just felt overwhelmed with gratitude. I've never been this hopeful about something before. I feel like my dreams aren't insane for once.." She trailed off, then covered her face in her hands, embarrassed and letting a few more tears slip down.

I reached up again to pull her small hands away, then swiped more tears from her face, smiling, trying to put her at ease. She giggled, and I slowly caressed her face again, the logical side of my brain giving up its power to the reckless side. God, her skin was so soft in my hands..

"Michaela, listen. Please.. don't ever think that any of your dreams are insane. They make us strive to do better, to live and experience whatever our hearts and souls desire in the world. Even if they are insane, you can do whatever you put your mind to. And don't be afraid to ask for help to get there. Even Hagrid would have been able to assist with any questions you might have had before I arrived. Hell, he probably would have sent a letter to me the moment he found out someone had the same enthusiasm in dragons as I do, and wanted to work in Romania. You most likely would have been given a job on the spot." I took a breath after explaining and let out a happy chuckle. "As a young boy, I was completely and utterly obsessed with anything to do with dragons. Now I've just turned into a man who's passion for them is still going strong. Sometimes our dreams work out. You just need to put yourself out there to achieve them, Love.." Trailing off as I looked into her lustrous green eyes, I realized my own advice could apply to me as well.

Putting off romance of any kind, especially flat out giving up after Fred died.. had been foolish. I had closed my heart off to any possibility of finding someone to spend my life with. Now this stunning, inspiring young woman who was standing in front of me seemed so perfect, and I already knew I was falling for her. But I couldn't have her. And even touching Michaela as I was right now was most likely taking advantage of her because of the age difference.

Yes, I definitely needed to put myself out there more, but the fact that I was finally feeling my heart open up to someone who had barely been 18 for just a little while was absolutely dangerous. I had to sort out my feelings before I ended up hurting Michaela..  
Unable to stop myself, I caressed her face once more, even going as far to push a strand of hair behind her ear. She gasped; a sweet, little sound that made my heart ache, and I knew it had been a mistake. Especially since the sound she had made caused my cock to harden for her, making it happen at least the third or fourth time that day alone. I was beginning to lose count..

"Okay, dear, you should be off to bed.. I'm sorry for giving you a whole spiel about not giving up on your dreams. I really know how to go off on a rant, don't I?.." My voice sounded gravelly as I attempted a sad play at humor to get rid of the tension I had caused. Sexually charged on my part, and probably uncomfortably anxious on Michaela's.

"Sir.." The fiery-haired beauty started to speak, making my hardness pulse just for her. That word was now permanently linked to Michaela, and no one else but her could turn me on more than she could by addressing me in such a way. "I promise that your rant has made me feel more self-assured and capable than any other teachers I've talked to. I was so unsure about my future before today, and now I have a solid plan in motion. I have hope.. because of you. I can't thank you enough, Professor Weasley." Michaela took my hand and gave it a soft squeeze as a show of appreciation, and let it go as quickly as she had captured it, taking my heart with her too.

"Sweetheart.. you are too kind." I blushed and pushed my hands into my pockets, needing to do something because otherwise I'd be using them to grab Michaela's again just to drag her back upstairs. "Um.. if you need anything else, I'll be in my office for a little while tomorrow working on next weeks lesson plans after lunch." I offered, and she smiled up at me. "Yes sir, I'll try to find you if I need any.. assistance.. And I hope you sleep well." Biting that deliciously, plump bottom lip again, she looked me up and down, and whispered, "Don't forget your late night snack." Then my innocent angel winked at me and walked to her door down the hall, tapped the Rhythm of Helga Hufflepuff on the barrels, stealing one more glance at me before making her way up the stairs.

I realized I was grinning like a love struck fool while I watched her little skirt sway back and forth as she left, and I rubbed the back of my neck, releasing a breath I didn't recall holding in. I thought about the entire interaction we'd had tonight over in my head as I grabbed my tea and snack from the kitchens, and made the way back to my room. Every time I told myself that I needed to stop obsessing about the Hufflepuff girl, my thoughts made their way back to her. I attempted to finish the book I was reading while enjoying my tea, but after that I couldn't concentrate. I took a long shower, hoping that would help me fall asleep, but while I laid in bed, every time I closed my eyes, a flash of bright, auburn hair and freckled, ivory skin would dance behind my lids. I still smelled the lavender somehow, as if it had attached itself permanently to my skin..

'One more time..' the voice in my head said to me. 'Think of the sexy, little skirt that you're dying to lift up slowly as you bend her over your desk.. Imagine kissing down her beautiful neck, hearing those sweet, innocent moans while you know her tight, wet heat is clenching at every caress from your lips.' I groaned as I felt my hands slip my hardness out of the pants I had worn to bed, and I started stroking myself while allowing my inner dialogue to take over.

'Mhmm.. remember those pretty, pebbled nipples that hardened from your gaze earlier today?.. You know that young, little tease wasn't wearing a bra. She doesn't even know what her body does to a man like me..' I practically growled to myself, pumping harder, feeling the need to shamefully come already. Even in my head I didn't like calling her a tease.. it wasn't a very female friendly statement, and I knew my sweet angel was far from being one, but the dominant side of my brain, the side that wanted to take her innocence, didn't care at the moment. What I craved right now, was to turn this little girl from being deliciously naive into my personal slut, and make her beg to be fucked. I wanted to do all sorts of nasty things, to make her blush that perfect shade of pink as I made her play with her own pussy for my viewing pleasure. I desired to taste her beautiful cunt for the first time, to watch her eyes widen in surprise while she watched me tease her tight slit open with my tongue.

"Fuck, baby.. yeah. You're mine, Sweetheart; my naughty girl.." I moaned, fucking into my hand, my fantasy quickly switching from licking her young, innocent skin to fucking her tight, possibly virgin hole as I massaged her precious clit. My dark thoughts had almost overpowered me. My fist pumped my thick cock, letting me remember Michaela's lovely gasps as I lightly touched her cheek or pushed her hair behind her ear. Oddly enough.. thinking of my finger slipping in between her luscious, plump lips as she sucked on it is what pushed me over the edge...  
"God yes, Love.. take it, Michaela. Take my cock, you stunning goddess. Fuck... my sweet, little angel. Such a good girl.. such a good. Little. Fucking. Yes! Oh, Michaela.." I climaxed hard, stroking until I couldn't stand it any longer.

The aftershocks felt amazing.. I could barely stand, so I waited until they dissipated before I cleaned myself up. After gulping down a glass of water, I laid back in my bed, turning over to admire the night sky. The stars shined brightly through my window, and I pondered the feelings I had struggled with today.. I kept telling myself I couldn't try anything with Michaela, to give up on these emotions and wait to find someone else once I got back to Romania.

Except now.. I had basically offered her a position as my new apprentice. Depending on if she felt the same way.. if a relationship didn't spark here then something was bound to happen when we both traveled back to the dragon sanctuary. I might have been full of myself, believing that this charming young woman had even a little bit of mutual attraction towards me. But regardless, I felt the need to find out or else I would eventually drive myself insane.

I began to doze off the longer I thought about it, but while I hovered in between consciousness, I somehow made the decision to at least try to get to know her more and figure out if she felt anything, then go from there. A few weeks I could handle..   
I just needed to avoid all physical contact.. and staring into her lovely, green eyes.. also ignoring how sexy her body looked in her uniform. The way she laughed..

Even as I drifted off, the last thought I had before I completely conked out was how fucked I was. This perfect angel had gotten under my skin and I needed to know more.. I just hoped my desires for the radiantly, fascinating Hufflepuff could stay in check until I worked out my next step.. I just didn't realize how hard it would be to wait.   
And this young woman wasn't going to make it any easier..  
•••


	3. Talk

"I won't deny,   
I've got in my mind now   
all the things I would do  
So I'll try to talk refined   
for fear that you find out   
how I'm imaginin' you"  
-Hozier

•••

Waking up earlier than expected the next morning, I decided to go for a jog near the Black Lake to start my day off right. After checking on some animals, having breakfast, and running some errands I eventually sat down in my office to work on the lesson plans I had been putting off. I'd kept myself busy all morning, trying to not allow images of Michaela to enter my mind, and now I was throwing myself into more work before taking off for the evening. My plans for the rest of the night was to get drunk in Hogsmeade, then sleep off the inevitable hangover during the better part of my Sunday. I needed to unwind and hopefully rid myself of any cravings my student was causing me.

I stayed in my office for hours, eventually grading more essays once I finished with my other tasks. My mind kept drifting to the enchanting Hufflepuff as I worked, and by 4:30 pm I was wondering if she would show up needing anything before I decided to leave. As I was gathering my things, the smell of buttery cinnamon filled the air, making my mouth water immediately. Then, there was a quiet knock on my door.

Glancing up at the entrance to my office, all coherent thoughts left my mind when my eyes landed on Michaela. Trying to push her out of my head all day while secretly hoping she would come see me again didn't prepare me at all for her actually showing up. Michaela looked so perfect standing there, wearing her weekend attire, free from the confines of her school uniform. She definitely appeared more relaxed, sporting a thin, strappy lavender dress that showed off her curves, falling against her bare thighs beautifully. On her dainty feet were black ballet flats with lavender ribbons laced up around her ankles. The only jewelry she wore was a black silk ribbon tied like a choker with a small, silver crescent moon hanging from it, along with the same garnet ring from before gracing her finger.

Michaela reminded me of a pretty, little fairy I had seen in a book mum used to read when we were kids.. Her long, dark auburn curls flowed freely, with several random braids adding to the style. She was breathtaking, and I was dying to tell her how wonderful I thought she looked. It took me a moment to realize she was holding a small basket with a white cloth placed over it. That must be where the delightful smell was coming from...

"Good evening, Miss Peralta. How are you doing today?" I asked, trying to appear as if her sudden presence hadn't made me more excited than I had been when I got to see a dragon for the first time. "I'm doing wonderful, thank you, Sir. Sorry to interrupt you again.. I know you said office hours were only to be from noon to four but I saw your door was still open so I'd thought it would be alright if I swung by to give you these.." she held up the small basket, slowly walking forward to hand it over to me. "I finished my homework right after lunch today, so I didn't need any more assistance with it this afternoon. But I figured baking some homemade cookies would be a nice 'thank you' since you helped me so much yesterday. I was just going to give them to you later but I realized you were still here, so I wanted you to have them while they were warm." Michaela blushed as I took the basket from her and I smiled back at her, feeling my heart bursting joyfully from the sweet gesture.

"That's so kind of you, Michaela. You didn't have to do all of this.. it's my job; no, it's my absolute pleasure to help you." I spoke truthfully, hoping she would understand how much this considerate action meant to me. "It's no trouble at all, Professor. I enjoy cooking and baking. Italian food is my strong suit but I love making cookies as well. Uhm.. these are snickerdoodles. I wasn't sure what your favorite type of cookie was, but I figured this was a safe bet." She giggled sweetly as I uncovered the basket. The scent hit harder as soon as I lifted the cloth, almost causing me to drool on the spot. "I didn't realize how hungry I was until you brought these. They smell heavenly. I must have skipped lunch without realizing it.. There's a good chance I might devour these before you leave the room." I joked, and Michaela beamed at the compliment.

"Wanna join me?" I asked, patting the seat right beside me. She hesitated for a moment, then nodded with a small smile as she sat down. I handed her a cookie and grabbed one for myself, finally taking a bite out of it. "Merlin.. this cookie is the best thing I've ever tasted." I practically moaned out after swallowing the savored first bite. "Just don't tell my mother.. She would take that to heart." I winked in her direction, smirking at the blush that tinted her cheeks so quickly as she ate the sweet morsel. "You really like them that much, Professor?" Michaela asked nervously, not fully believing my sincerity.

"They're delicious, honestly. Where'd you learn to cook?" I questioned, eating the rest of the cookie as I waited for her to answer. "Mainly from my mother.. she knows how to cook southern comfort food, and some baking. I learned the rest of it from my great aunt and my grandfather. The past few years though, I've been picking up recipes on my own, then having my friends taste test. They're not always happy with my new stuff.. it can get kinda bad." She joked about herself. "Well, if you ever need a willing taste tester, I have a stomach made of steel. When my brothers were little, they made me try several concoctions of theirs, and the chef at the reserve isn't the greatest.. I'm sure you'd blow their cooking out of the park." This made her grin ear to ear, and I couldn't help but stare, admiring her pretty mouth as she smiled at me..

"So.. do you have any fun plans for your Saturday night, Michaela?" I asked casually, grabbing another cookie while pretending that I wasn't extremely curious as to what the young woman would be doing this evening. I witnessed Michaela tense up at my question, cheeks turning a shade darker. I wondered if I had inquired about something too personal..   
"I.. I guess I have a double date tonight.." she stated unsurely, twisting the ring around on her finger as she thought about it. My stomach clenched at the thought of another person attempting to romance her.. I'm sure my face showed how I felt, so I chuckled and inquired more about her plans.  
"Are you unsure?.. Sounds like something you need to think on." I tried to smile but it felt forced.

"W-well.. my friend, Hallie, she has a date with a guy from her divinations class at The Three Broomsticks. H-he has a f-friend coming along, so she w-wanted me to join too so it wouldn't be weird. I think? I didn't w-want to but I wouldn't make her go alone. It wouldn't be right.." Michaela trailed off, and I believe we both noticed how her stutter came back in full force as she talked about her plans. "Are you nervous, Sweetheart?.. You seemed more comfortable before." I asked worriedly, and placed a hand on her arm trying to calm her down. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, so I stroked her skin with my thumb, absentmindedly trying to sooth her.

"I'm fine.. it's just, this guy kinda irks me. Her date is a sweet guy from Slytherin but his friend isn't the nicest person to be around. He's a Ravenclaw that I've had classes with constantly. Can be a bit of an asshole if I'm being honest." My eyebrows went up in surprise after hearing her curse, and she covered her mouth swiftly, embarrassed to be caught saying something bad about someone. "I'm so sorry, that just slipped out, Sir." Michaela cringed, regretting her choice of words. "I promise I don't normally talk down about anyone.. or curse in front of professors."

I laughed at this, and she looked at me in awe, fully confused with my reaction. "Oh, baby girl. That is precious coming out of your sweet, little mouth.. I don't care if you curse every arsehole you come in contact with, your secret is safe with me. I was just surprised, hearing an innocent Hufflepuff say something bad in general." I chuckled again, my voice deeper this time as I stared longingly at her lips, feeling the guard I had put up against her charms drop significantly. Once again, I had let myself get too close to Michaela. Sitting next to her, gently stroking her arm while admiring her face probably wasn't the best idea I'd had today..

Her smile returned, thankfully, and she cleared her throat to speak. "I get that a lot.. I know my demeanor and my house doesn't give me much of a rep, but I probably am the one with the most.. colorful vocabulary out of my group of friends. I'm not proud of it, but I guess I can blame it some on the so-called red headed temperament." She giggled again, causing me to laugh along with her. "I can attest to that. My parents, and every single sibling has hair like mine, and a house full of us can get overwhelming to say the least. Does your family have hair similar to yours, Love?" I inquired, curious about the people in her life.

"Not quite. My mom had a really dark, brownish auburn color as a child but it changed to darker shades the older she got. I think this color comes from my grandmother or an uncle. I'm not quite sure.." She answered, giving it some serious thought. "Well.. it's positively stunning. Like a blessing from the gods, gifting humanity with fire.." I trailed off, lifting the hand that was still on her arm to twirl a strand around my finger. The lock of hair was as soft as the skin that was recently beneath my palm, and the ringlet curled carefully around my index finger before I let it go, allowing it to bounce back into place. She was perfect, and made each part of my body pulse with need. My hands wanted to touch every last inch of her skin, and my lips wanted to press into her own until I could no longer breathe.

I'm not sure why I was still torturing myself with her presence, but I couldn't seem to stay away. And now, instead of drinking at the pub to take my mind off of Michaela, I was probably going to be watching her the entire night instead, as this idiotic young man captured her attentions for the next several hours..

Her angelic voice brought me out of the dark thoughts I was having, and I was thankful for it. "I appreciate your compliment, Sir. That's the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me.." She blushed, taking the strand I had wrapped around my finger only a moment ago and twirling it around her own instead.   
I'm not sure why, but this statement floored me. She deserved to be complimented constantly, and she thought a small comment about her hair was the kindest thing that's ever been spoken in her company?.. Michaela deserved to have songs sung about her, praising all that she was- mind, body, and soul. She was a work of art, a goddess that needed to have her own museum honoring her beauty and grace.

But I couldn't tell her all of that without making her uncomfortable and simultaneously losing my job for coming onto my student. I pursed my lips, preventing the words I wanted to confess from slipping through. Taking a deep breath, I decided to say, "Well, I'm sure sweeter words have been said before, but sometimes the truth of a persons thoughts gets lost in their own head because they worry about what the recipient might think if their true feelings were revealed. An intelligent and lovely young woman such as yourself probably pulls a reaction from other people all the time, even if they do not have the courage to tell you in person." I patted her hand once before standing up, then paused for a moment by her side. Michaela stared up at me, a strange, yet thoughtful gaze upon her face. This made me unable to turn away, and I gazed into her eyes, feeling admiration for how expressive she could be with her emotions, just by the look she gave me. She conveyed them so well.. an honesty evident in every part of her being that she couldn't seem to hide, even if she wanted to. It was beautiful.

I placed a hand on her freckled shoulder, feeling the heat from her bare skin against mine, and she closed her eyes briefly, taking in a breath before locking them on my own once more. "I'm not sure why, dear, but I feel this need to build you up and encourage you to believe in yourself more.. Every student would probably benefit from hearing this, but it is more true for you than anyone I've come across. You are strong, capable, and wise beyond your years.. pair that with your humility, and that spark I see in your eyes every time I look into them.. You have a fire inside you that is going to push you to succeed in everything you wish to achieve. Carry yourself with that in mind, and you can conquer anything; from dealing with the arsehole boys in your classes, to getting the job of your dreams." Giving Michaela's shoulder a gentle squeeze in assurance, I smiled at her warmly before turning to grab my jacket off the hook by my desk and putting it on. "That being said, I also have plans tonight at The Three Broomsticks. If that Ravenclaw guy gives you any problems, just give me a look and tug on your ear. I'll drag him out of there and toss him into the Black Lake before his friend even notices that he's missing. I promise you that." I chuckled and looked back at her, realizing that the blush she held from my compliments before had turned into a grin she was trying to hide.

"You'd really do that for me, Professor?" Michaela giggled, eyes lighting up mischievously at the idea of her peer being thrown into the lake. "Wouldn't be the first time I've done it to a guy that deserved it.." I winked at her, then offered my hand to help her stand. "I should let you go so you can meet your friend on time. Wouldn't want to keep her waiting."   
She sighed, but took my hand anyways and stood, and I gave it a friendly squeeze before dropping it. She smiled to herself, then smoothed out the skirt of her dress. "I guess I should go get this over with. I'd much rather spend the time doing anything else.. Even detention with Filch might be more tolerable." She scrunched up her nose at this, which made her look even more cute, if that was physically possible.

"Wow, you really dislike this young man, don't you?" I chuckled, and picked up the basket with the cookies, allowing her to walk out first so I could lock the door behind me. "If you've ever had him in your class, then I'm sure you'd dislike him too." Michaela was smirking when I turned around to face her. With her body leaning up against the wall by my office door, arms crossed underneath her chest as she waited for me, it struck me how natural this felt. Just hanging out, talking.. waiting for one another just so we could carry on the conversation we were having.. it felt right. It seemed so normal. I was probably reading too much into this, and she was just being friendly, but every moment I spent alone with this young woman made it seem like we were getting used to one another, or had been friends all along. Just the thought made my heart soar with happiness.

I smiled back, feeling better knowing I had somehow acquired this girl's friendship, and the boy she was being forced to spend time with tonight would probably never have it. It was immature and somewhat petty, using this logic, but here I was, grinning like an idiot feeling like I'd won a prize. This didn't seem far from the truth though, because Michaela was here, choosing to talk to me. Her lovely company was a prize in itself.

"Thankfully, I haven't had the pleasure." I joked with her. "Which direction are you heading in, Love?"   
"The Great Hall. I'm meeting Hallie there and we're walking into Hogsmeade together, then meeting the guys at The Three Broomsticks." She said, looking a little upset at the last part. "Don't worry, it'll be over before you know it, I'm sure. And just remember, look at me and tug your ear, then your problem will disappear." I winked at her again, and she laughed once more at the unexpected rhyme, blushing a little as she played with the charm on her necklace. "Thank you again, Sir."

"You're welcome, Michaela. And thank you for the cookies. These very well might be my dinner for tonight. I don't seem to have a craving for anything else but them at the moment." I told her sincerely. "Stay safe tonight, and have fun, okay?" She nodded her head, smiling that sweet, shy smile, softly saying, "And you as well." Before turning to leave. I stood there for a moment, watching her walk away until she was out of sight, and I let out a sigh at her absence. I felt as if I should have said something more, and had this need to feel her soft skin under my hands again, in any way I could. I had no clue how I was going to make it through the rest of the semester without having my way with this girl..

•••

After spending an hour in my room writing a quick letter to my parents, showering and changing my clothes, I made my way down to Hogsmeade fully intending to drown at least a few of my sorrows in something a little stronger than the sweet Butterbeer I knew some of the students from Hogwarts would be drinking tonight. It was snowing again, and freezing cold outside, which was normal weather for January in Scotland. But walking through the doors at The Three Broomsticks took the chill off immediately. It was still as warm and cozy as it had been when I went there the first time as a kid at Hogwarts. Madam Rosmerta kept her establishment in decent shape, and appeared to be doing better in business, seeing how she had hired two employees to help out. I took a spot by the bar, sitting next to my colleague, Horace Slughorn, who had taken up teaching potions again after Severus Snape died.

"Ah, Mr. Weasley, I see you needed a drink tonight too. How are you doing, my dear boy? Has this week gone well for you so far?" He questioned me as he waved down the new bartender for a refill and to take my order. "It's going wonderfully. I was a little nervous, but these kids have been great. Most of them really want to learn, and the few students I have in my advance class are naturals. Hagrid has taught them well." I grinned, and Horace patted my back vigorously in acknowledgement. "Congratulations! That's good to hear. I wish most of my students had half the excitement for potions as yours do for magical creatures. It's lovely though, isn't it? Seeing them learn something new and feeling the pride of having been the ones to teach them. Minerva has been singing your praises, by the way. If Hagrid wasn't coming back at the end of the term, I'm sure she'd ask you to stay and teach permanently." He chuckled, clearly enjoying the idea.

"As much as I'd love to stay, I don't think I could be without my dragons for that long. I'm going to miss these kids when I leave, but I can't ignore my true calling. That sanctuary has a hold on me." I explained wistfully, taking a sip of my whisky when it finally arrived. Horace glanced down at the napkin by my glass and smirked. "It appears that the lovely bartender has left you a message." He motioned with his eyebrows. I looked down, confused, and realized a name and short message had been scrawled onto my napkin.

'Hi there, handsome. I'd like to get to know you more... My shift ends in an hour if you'd like to walk me home. -Gemma.'

Frowning slightly, I looked up and finally took in the woman who had left the message. She was waiting on some customers at the end of the bar, wearing a revealing red blouse and tight pants with an apron tied around her thin waist. She was beautiful, around my age, with fair skin and long, straight blonde hair that was tied into a ponytail. She glanced my way and blushed, flashing me her baby blue eyes before turning around to fill some drink orders. Any other time before coming back to Hogwarts, I'd have been flattered and probably would have taken her up on the offer, but taking a moment to glance around the room, my eyes landed on the one person I couldn't get out of my head. Gemma was very lovely indeed, but she couldn't compare to the sweet, young student at the table to the left of me.

Michaela was sitting next to a guy I had seen around the school but hadn't had in any of my classes. He was wearing a blue, button-up collared shirt and too much hair gel in his dark hair. His arm was slung around Michaela's tense shoulders while he told a loud and slightly obnoxious sounding story to the couple sitting across from them. His friend laughed along with him, while the young girl with brown curls giggled beside him. Michaela tried to smile, but seemed extremely uncomfortable from the entire interaction. I wanted to catch her attention to at least let her know I was nearby, but Professor Slughorn brought me out of my thoughts before I could do so.

"So lad, what do you think? She's quite becoming. Hasn't stopped stealing glances at you since you walked in." He nudged my side with his elbow, smiling at the prospect of two young people falling in love. I attempted a laugh, and tried to go along with it, but my heart wasn't in it. "She is easy on the eyes, don't get me wrong.. but I'm not really looking for anything right now. I'm worried if I got into something serious, it wouldn't work out with me going back to Romania in a few months, you know?" I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

"Yeah, I guess I could understand that. But a pretty thing like that would still be fun for a little while. Unless.. you have another girl you're sweet on?" He raised his eyebrows playfully, fully amused at the idea. I however, was startled by the observation, and choked on my drink. After clearing my throat, I looked over at the older man and asked, "What made you think I'm into someone?.. Is it that obvious?" I whispered, hoping no one would overhear. "Well, any young man that would turn down a girl like that has to have a reason other than what you listed. And I've seen you around the school, grinning like a school boy with his first crush. You always seem so distracted, with something on your mind while we dine in the great hall. Reminds me of myself when I was young, actually." Horace lightly laughed to himself, conjuring up an old memory from his past.

"So tell me, where did you meet this mystery girl?" He asked curiously. I froze for a moment, wanting to kick myself for not summoning a lie. I've always been bad at keeping the truth from people.. "Well... I met her in Diagon Alley recently, in passing. She's uh, not from around here. I took her out on a coffee date and I've been smitten ever since. Can't think about anyone else, honestly.. But she's a tad younger than me, and still studying to get into her prospective field, so we're taking it slow. There's a chance she might come to work at the Sanctuary with me though. She has research to do in Romania this summer that could keep her there for quite some time." I spun a web of lies, holding some truth there in certain parts, yet nonetheless surprised at how easily it all came spilling out. My brothers would be impressed.

"That is wonderful! I'm sure your mother would be pleased that you've found a potential partner to settle down with. I ran into her a while back at Flourish and Blotts, and when we talked about you coming to work here for a semester, she asked me to look out for you. She got onto the topic of you not settling down and working too much, so I'm sure if this relationship of yours gets serious, she'll be over the moon." Horace exclaimed jubilantly.

"I'm sure she'll be planning the wedding before I even bring her home to meet the family." I joked half-heartedly, trying to keep up with his happy energy but mentally cursing myself for getting into this situation. It would just lead to more lies in the future.. I'd leave it be for now. I didn't have the brain capacity to tackle anymore problems at the moment. The only thing I wanted to do was nurse a few more glasses of whisky until my mind felt less heavy with the thoughts of my desires.

Upon finishing his drink, Horace then stood up, patting me on the back while saying, "Well, Charlie, I think it's about time I turned in with a good book before bed. Thank you for having a drink with me. And don't worry about that pretty bartender, I'm sure her feelings won't be too badly hurt. It seems the young lady has several suitors tonight." He said humorously, nodding his head once more in her direction before saying goodnight and leaving out the front door. Sure enough, there were three more spots filled at the bar, all men clamoring for the beautiful blonde's attention. Since she appeared busy, the other attendant- a reserved older gentleman of about forty with silver already streaking his black, shaggy hair, silently refilled my glass before taking care of some more customers at another table.

I breathed in a sigh of relief, finally allowed to be alone with my thoughts and the whisky that would eventually bring enough mind-numbing relaxation to take care of all the tension I had built up for the past week. But being a glutton for punishment, I couldn't shake the urge to take another look at Michaela while I sat there. Chancing being caught, I tried to turn my head casually, pretending to look around again at the crowd while I trained my gaze back onto the delicious, little red-head. She was stiffly sitting there, a sour expression on her exquisite face that she seemed past the point of caring for trying to hide. Michaela's date was blind to her obvious disgust. He still had his arm around her while he told some sort of tale, yet still had the audacity to blatantly be checking out other girls that walked past as he prattled on.

The two had been left alone by their friends, and with a short scan around the place, I found Hallie and her date hidden away in a dark corner, snogging one another senseless. A rush of annoyance filled me at the lack of consideration on Hallie's part. Michaela had gone out of her way to be there for her friend, and was now basically babysitting a fool of a boy just so this ridiculous girl could go off and make out.

Seeming unable to be around him anymore, Michaela got up, mumbling something and pointing to the washroom, then stalked off for the time being, leaving her date by himself. I kept my eyes on their table, unable to look away. I was angry at this kid.. it was stupid, because I knew Michaela had no feelings for him, but I still felt the need to focus my frustrated emotions on the guy that was spending the time I wish I could with the girl of my dreams. On top of that, I hated being absorbed in the teenaged drama that surrounded me. I was about to turn away and attempt to ignore everyone once again, but right before I did, that Ravenclaw bastard did something that made me thankful that I hadn't stopped paying attention just yet.

With a glance around him to presumably check to see if anyone was watching, but obviously not noticing my eyes trained on his actions, he pulled out something from the inside of his jacket pocket. It was a very small glass vial with a white powdered substance inside of it. He quickly dumped it into Michaela's drink and stirred it around with a spoon, dissolving it into the liquid so it would be untraceable.

Rage filled me. That piece of shit excuse for a human was trying to date-rape Michaela. I saw her coming out of the ladies washroom, walking back to her table, and realized I needed to do something, to stop her before she drank from her glass again. He had this sly grin on his face, like he was about to get away with something devious. Fuck that.

I stood up abruptly, which made Michaela catch sight of me finally, and she stopped halfway back to her seat, noticing the intense look on my face. I was about to move, intent on destroying her dates' face so he could never look at her again, along with possibly breaking both of his hands just for the hell of it. Before I could carry out my plans, I felt a strong hand on my shoulder hold me back, and turned around to find the stern looking man that had served me my drink minutes before. "I noticed what you saw too, but I'll handle this. I know you're a professor. If you hit that kid, his parents will try to have you fired before you even make it back to the school grounds.. even though he deserves to have more than his face punched in for preying on that girl. The Headmaster will have better ways of punishing him. I saw McGonagall walk past outside the window just moments ago; let me take him to her." He said in a gruff voice, his own anger at the situation mirroring my own.

I unclenched my fists and stepped aside, allowing him to walk past. Michaela and I exchanged a glance, then watched the scene before us from the spots where we stood, along with a few curious customers that had noticed the slight disturbance. The man walked up to Michaela's date, grabbed the glass in one hand and yanked the kid up by his arm roughly with the other. He vehemently whispered something in his ear, and the kid paled considerably from being caught. He gave a look back at Michaela, who seemed confused as to what was happening, and then he was dragged out of The Three Broomsticks before anyone else noticed anything was amiss.

I looked out the window, and there the two stood, along with a furious looking Minerva McGonagall across the street, holding the glass with the drugged drink as she listened to what had occurred. I turned back to stare at Michaela, who was still frozen in place with a stunned expression. Thinking quickly, I downed my own drink, laid down enough money for my tab and a healthy tip for the man who just took care of a terrible situation without drawing too much attention, and then nodded my head towards the back door before walking to it myself. Michaela watched me pass by, and when it finally clicked that I wanted her to follow, she went to go grab her coat. I left behind the napkin with the unwanted offer from Gemma, and Michaela walked away leaving only a message with Madam Rosmerta to tell her friend that she had gone back to the school already.

I waited in the cold night air, leaning against the wall of the building until Michaela came out a few moments later. She looked upset, rightfully so.. "What the hell just happened in there?.. What were you about to do, Professor?" Her first question started off strong, unable to hide her emotions, then ended in a whisper at the second, showing how nervous she was about the odd turn of events. "Where did that man take him?"

I bit my lip, not sure how to explain to an innocent young girl that she was almost the victim of a date-rape by her classmate. "Miss Peralta.. Michaela, we shouldn't talk here. Let me get you somewhere out of the cold, please?" I looked into her face, which was barely illuminated by the candle-lit lamp hanging by the back door. It was snowing again, and I could see the small flakes landing in her hair. Then I noticed her shiver in the night air, causing me to realize she didn't have her long jacket buttoned up. She was standing out here in the freezing snow without appropriate attire to keep her warm. Even her shoes were almost covered in it. She suddenly shook her head, seeming angry. "No. I want to know what happened right now. You looked like you were about to hit Torrin in the face."

"Ah, so that's what the little prick's name is." I growled out, startling Michaela. She took a step back, not understanding my resentment. "Please.. Tell me now or I'm going back in there to demand answers from someone else." I wanted to ease her worries and tell her everything, but her standing out here in nothing but a thin, short dress and light coat freezing her cute little ass off was not sitting well with me. Her face was so pale she looked like a ghost. "Not here." I said sternly. She began to turn away and I made the split decision to pull her close suddenly and apparate us out of there.

•••

"What the actual fuck?" She cursed as we landed in a dark room, unprepared to magically teleport so quickly. I still wasn't the best at apparating, so instead of landing standing upright, we had somehow fallen over with me on top of her. "I'm sorry, Love, but you weren't listening, and I needed to get you out of there." I lifted myself off of her, next helping her up as well, then fumbled around for a lamp. Once I had found it, the room lit up with a soft glow, finally alerting her to where we were. "Is.. is this your r-room Professor?" She asked nervously, noticing the bed, a desk with a photo of my family and I in Egypt, and several piles of books scattered throughout. Running a hand through my hair, I plainly said, "Yes, yes it is." Then proceeded to use my wand to light the fireplace to help take the chill out of the room. Michaela stood there, noticeably uncomfortable, and began to fiddle with her ring again as she waited for an explanation.

"Here.. let me take your coat, and you have a seat in the chair near the fire so we can warm you up. I'll explain everything, I promise you." I said sincerely, feeling bad for how I had went about things. Her intense green eyes stared me down for a moment, then conceded, and she shrugged off the garment, handing it to me so I could hang it on the hook by my door. The intimacy of having Michaela of all people here in my room, alone, hit me out of nowhere. This suddenly felt very taboo. If anyone found out, they would probably think the worst out of both of us.. But that didn't matter to me at the moment. What mattered was explaining what exactly had gone on in the last 20 minutes in a way that wouldn't freak Michaela out.

Still.. even with the shitshow that this night had turned into, I somehow found it in me to take a moment to appreciate the fact that my new favorite person was alone with me, looking beautiful in the same dress as I'd seen her in before. Her hair was a bit more wild now, the gorgeous curls having been tossed about during the quick trip and terrible landing we endured to get to my room. Yet, she somehow made it look good.. Michaela was still shivering some, and my concern was momentarily overlapped by my perverted ways, causing me to realize how sexy she looked.

The thin dress did nothing to conceal her bra less breasts from the cold, and the perky handfuls were being highlighted by the delicious, pebbled nipples that strained against the fabric. She turned to go take a seat in the comfortable chair that I loved to read in at night while the fire burned, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek pretty hard to prevent a moan from escaping when I saw how the dress rode up her thighs as she sat down. I walked up beside her, and she watched me take the small blanket that rested on the back of the chair. Without a word, our eyes locked on one another's as I carefully draped it around her shoulders. Kneeling down beside her, I slowly pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, and gently used the same hand to hold her cheek, caressing it softly.

"Are you okay?.." I asked, my voice deep and on the verge of showing everything I'd been hiding from her. The realization of what could have occurred tonight hit me out of nowhere once I finally held her face in my hand. She didn't know it, and no one else knew it. Not yet.. but this girl was mine. Even if I could never have her the way I needed her.. The way I craved.. She had my soul locked down, and held every last bit of power over me.

I guess the intense look from my gaze and the touch of my hand surprised her some, because her green eyes went wide and began deeply searching my own. Michaela opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again, trying to summon the words she needed as she licked her dry lips. Glancing down, she wrapped the blanket around her a little tighter. I released her cheek from my hand, but still stayed beside Michaela, not wanting to leave her.

When she looked back up at me, she said, "He did something really bad, didn't he? How much trouble is he in?.." her voice was soft but serious, worry lining every word. "Yes. He did something very bad.. And he's probably in more trouble than he realizes. I'm just thankful that Madam Rosmerta's attendant and I caught him in time. We'll probably have to go find the Headmaster soon and speak to her, but I wanted to get you out of the cold and explain things to you as to give you a moment to process this before having to deal with anyone else.." I told her, careful not to say anything in a harsh manner. Seeing her lick her lips again, I realized she must have been thirsty.

I stood up and strolled over to a table across the room, and poured her a glass of water from the pitcher, then poured myself a bit of whisky, still needing to take the edge off from tonight. The two I had before had already worn off, sobering me up fairly quickly. I walked back over to Michaela again, handing her the water. She gave me a very small, grateful smile as thanks, then observed me as I brought over the chair from my desk to sit in front of her. I waited for her to take a sip and continue with her questioning.

"How does this affect me?.. Why did you get me out of there so quickly? I don't know what he did but your reaction freaked me out... I don't like the guy, not in the least. But I want to know what happened. You taking me out of there before I got any answers bothered me. I know I can't really defy you because you're my professor, but I trusted you to talk to me and explain when I asked earlier." My little Hufflepuff showed her fierce side, making me proud at how brave she was being, even though most of her fury and unease were directed at me. But I could take it. For her sake, I would do anything to help when she needed me to.

"I'm sorry for how poorly I handled the situation at first.. I was angry, and worried; needing to get you out of the cold and far away from that place was the only thing on my mind. Your safety matters, and I will always put that first before anything else, even if that means pissing you off a little or leaving you confused and upset until I'm able to fix it." My voice came out a bit more stern this time, and I think the seriousness of the situation broke through more.

I took a swig of my drink before continuing, and she watched every move I made intently. "As for how this affects you.. The guy you were out with tonight was about to hurt you. While you went to the washroom, I witnessed him pull out a vile filled with powder.. he dumped it into your drink and stirred it in well so you wouldn't notice it when you took another sip. When you saw me stand up, I was about to drag him out of there.. I wasn't thinking; all I know is that he intended to do something bad and I wanted to teach him an extremely painful lesson. But the older man who stopped me told me I would get fired if his parents found out that I hurt him, so he dragged Torrin out of there himself. Took him straight to McGonagall." I finished, and she studied my face, trying to process what I'd just told her.

After a moment of silence, Michaela said, "How do you know it wasn't just a prank?.. It could have been anything. Maybe belching powder, or a laughing concoction. Or.. I don't know, it seriously could have been anything, Professor. I don't know why anyone would try to hurt me, especially in front of all those people. It doesn't make sense." She tried to explain, mainly to herself, but her naivety was preventing her from seeing how bad of a situation she could have ended up in.

"Michaela. I have seen that happen before. The man working tonight that dragged that worthless excuse for a wizard out of the pub tonight has too. Given his occupation and how quickly he reacted as well to the scene, he's probably witnessed it a hell of a lot more than I have." I said through gritted teeth, unable to hide my frustration. It wasn't necessarily intended for her, just overflowing from the tension I'd been holding in. I knocked back the rest of my drink, and set the glass down on the floor, then ran my hand through my hair again. By this point, it had fallen loose from the ponytail I had it in, the tie now lost somewhere inside my room.

I looked back into Michaela's eyes, seeing a hardness there. She was scared, and building up a wall around herself. I was not making her feel better in the slightest. "Fuck. I'm sorry, Love. I know this must be confusing for you. You're very young.. but you don't seem to understand what I need you to. And you really need to realize what I'm about to say is something you should pay great attention to from here on out." I sighed, grabbing her hands from her lap and holding them in my own. "I don't like using this term.. but it's the only one that really explains it.  
You were almost.. well, he was trying to-"  
"Date-rape me?.." she filled in, cutting me off before I could say the words myself. I saw a tear slip down her cheek, but she furrowed her brow at the same time, anger at the situation evident through her original fear. She stared into my eyes, breaking my heart with the pained look she gave me.

I nodded, feeling defeated as well. Not being able to shield her from this hurt was not sitting well with me. "Yes." Was all I could say in that moment, unsure of how to continue. "I've heard of it before, I just didn't realize it happened here.. I know that's stupid of me to think that. You probably think I'm some naive little girl who can't take care of herself.. But I honestly have never seen it happen in real life. I saw it in a movie once.. and heard about it from one of my mom's friends when I was younger, just a random girl I didn't know a few towns over that went through it. But I have never been in this situation myself. I really thought this world was different from the muggle world. I don't know why.. I just couldn't really see that as a possibility here for some reason.   
I.. I'm so sorry, Professor. I should have been smart enough not to let this almost happen to me." She finished, wiping a tear from her eye, a shameful blush creeping into her face from embarrassment.

"Oh god.. Sweetheart. I never want to hear you apologizing for someone trying to cause you harm." My voice cracked, my own tears threatening to make an appearance. I gently took her chin in my hand, forcing her to look at me, then cupped her cheek again, trying to give her some form of comfort and reassurance. "None of this is your fault. This all falls on the insignificant piece of trash that tried to do the unforgivable. Even if he had gotten his wish and had his way, it still would never be your fault. If I had found out he had even harmed a single hair on your perfect head, I would have been the one to throw him into Azkaban myself. No person who has ever gone through anything remotely similar to this is at fault for being targeted or attacked. There is nothing you could do, nothing you could wear or say that would make it okay for him to do anything to you. And if I hear anyone say otherwise, I will deal with them personally. Please... please, Love. Do not blame yourself for this. Okay?" I pleaded.

She waited a beat before nodding, agreeing to my request. I released a sigh, and without thinking I stroked her cheek affectionately, then placed a soft, slow kiss to her forehead, relief flooding through my body from her understanding. When she quietly gasped from the contact, I realized my mistake immediately.

"Shit.." I cursed, standing up quickly to put space between us. "Sir?.." Her voice reached my ears, sounding small and unsure. "I'm sorry, Miss Peralta. Doing that without thinking.. it shouldn't have happened. My way of reassuring people does not cross over well with the code of conduct I'm supposed to keep up with here. It was hypocritical of tonight's events and extremely inappropriate. Not to mention unforgivable." I shook my head, angry at myself. "Professor Weasley.. it's okay. I know you come from a big, affectionate family. Everyone in my family is the same way. It was just a kiss on the forehead. Nothing more.." She tried to ease my worry this time, not making a big deal out of it, though she was clearly blushing from the intimacy of the interaction.

"That's sweet of you to try to make it not seem as bad as it was, Love. But if I had done that in front of your peers or my colleagues, it would have looked inappropriate, regardless of the context behind it." I explained, even though I was dying to tell her what I truly meant. And how badly I wanted to kiss her again, no matter how innocent the location. The burning need to place my lips on her skin was more present than it had been with our other encounters, and I wondered if she could see through the act I was putting on.

"I know you're right, Sir.. but here in your room, away from anyone else, it's just a trusted adult trying to comfort a girl who almost had a traumatic experience. And that's exactly what you did, you comforted me. You pulled me away from a dangerous situation, and brought me out of the cold to the safest place you could think of at the time, away from judging eyes. You protected me, Professor. It's okay. I promise..." she stood up this time, letting the blanket fall onto the chair, then walked over to me and wrapped her arms around my waist, giving me the warmest hug I'd ever experienced.

"Thank you.. Thank you so much for taking care of me tonight." Michaela whispered, burying her face into my chest. I couldn't help but wrap my arms around her, feeling a connection that felt as if it would never be severed. The lustful feelings I'd been having since I met this girl were at the back of my mind, and what stood in front of me was something even more special. I didn't know what would spring from this connection, but I do know that the experience from tonight was opening Michaela's heart into accepting me as more than her professor. It might lead to an amazing friendship, or something else deeper than that, but all I knew now was that I had a chance to have her in my life, and I wasn't giving that up for anything.

Still unable to let go, I stroked her hair soothingly and asked her, "How are you?.. is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" Michaela shook her head lightly, giving me a small smile that looked hard to keep up. "I won't lie.. tonight messed me up a little. I know nothing happened, but the idea that something could have, and thinking about the possibility that he's probably done the same thing to other girls makes me feel depressed. But I'll be okay. From now on I'll know to be more alert to things like this so I can prevent it from happening. I realize I probably need to go see the Headmaster as soon as possible, but if I could take a little while longer in here before having to confront anyone, I'd really appreciate it, Professor."

"Of course, anything you need, dear. Why don't you sit back down and I'll go track down a cup of hot tea for you. If you need to wait until tomorrow to discuss everything, I can walk you back to your dormitory and go tell McGonagall that you're okay for the moment and just need some rest. We can do this any way you'd like." I assured her. "I'd like that, Professor. Uhm.. I know this is probably not a good idea, but.. I don't want to be alone, and I also don't feel ready to face anyone else at the moment.   
C-could I stay here with you tonight?.." she asked, begging with every bit of energy she could muster, the effort displayed through the look in her eyes. Michaela knew it was a big request, but I understood how much she needed me to agree to it.

I'd figure out how to deal with McGonagall, but for now, I wasn't going to force this girl to do anything she wasn't comfortable with. "Yeah, Love. I'll go work it out. Will you be okay here by yourself for a little bit while I go and take care of some things? I don't want anyone to worry about where you are. And I know you're shaken up, but I'm going to need you to eat some dinner before bed. It'll give you some strength." I tried to explain without coming off as too pushy. Thankfully she agreed, and I left her wrapped up in the blanket again, sitting next to the fireplace with one of my books to help take her mind off of everything.

First, I found McGonagall, touching base with her about Michaela and Torrin. I didn't even like saying the guy's name, let alone think it, but hearing that he was going to be expelled from Hogwarts for tonight's ordeal gave me some closure. His parents were alerted, and he was looking at a lot of trouble coming his way with a possible trial and sentencing attached to the punishment. McGonagall had the drink tested immediately, and it was indeed a drug that he intended to use to knock Michaela unconscious with. He hadn't revealed where he intended to take her, but still tried to deny everything even though he had substantial evidence and eye witnesses mounted against him.   
No one besides the people involved knew about what had truly transpired, just that Torrin had gotten dragged out of The Three Broomsticks. News of his expulsion would travel fast, but at least Michaela's name would be protected. As far as anyone knew, she had just decided to leave the date early and go back to the school.

After reassuring McGonagall that Michaela was unharmed, just extremely tired and unnerved by what had happened, unwilling to talk to anyone else just yet, she agreed to wait to check in with her until Michaela was ready to see people. She was grateful that I had caught Torrin in the act and helped Madam Rosmerta's employee, who's named turned out to be Kincaid, stop him before things could progress further. She seemed oddly okay with the idea of me keeping an eye on Michaela for tonight, not wanting to stress out the girl even more than she already had been. I didn't question her decision, instead just thanked her before being dismissed from her office.

I returned to my room with food and a pot of chamomile tea on a tray, enough for the two of us. I found Michaela not sitting where I had left her, instead she was curled up on my bed, head at the foot of the mattress, staring into the fireplace with the blanket still wrapped around her shoulders.   
She only registered my presence when I had pulled the desk chair over to my bed, sitting down while laying the tray beside her.

"Oh, thank you for bringing up some food. I guess I am a little hungry.." She said quietly, but seemed more at ease from the last time I saw her. Sitting up, she smiled a little brighter, and I smiled back, feeling more hopeful than I had been on my way to speak with McGonagall. I updated her, only saying that Torrin had been apprehended and wasn't coming back to the school, which made Michaela breathe a sigh of relief, and I witnessed her relax immediately. Upon hearing she could stay in my room for the night, a genuine look of gratitude graced her beautiful face. "Thank you for doing everything in your power to make things better for me. I owe you everything." She said, meaning every last word.

"Now listen here young lady, the only thing I want you to owe me is just your delightful company while we eat this meal. Knowing that you're safe and your mind is at ease is enough for me, Love." I joked with her at the beginning, playfully wagging my finger like my mother does when she's trying to make a point get through her kids' minds, but towards the end I was genuinely telling the truth about all of it. Regardless, it had the intended effect, and Michaela was giggling sweetly, unable to hide her grin from behind her hands.

We ate together slowly, and I was happy to see that she had a good appetite. I worried that everything from tonight would have made her too upset to consume anything, but the more I talked to her, the more she relaxed and continued to eat most of her share that I had brought up. During and after dinner, we drank the chamomile with honey while I told her a few stories about the reservation. Michaela was fascinated by my experiences with dragons, and seemed to light up at the idea that she would most likely be working with them by the time summer arrived. The light in her eyes was awake with ideas and dreams she couldn't seem to contain, and I enjoyed watching her get excited over everything.

Eventually though, the tea had done its job and helped relax Michaela's busy mind, and she ended up falling asleep in the chair by the fire that we had moved over to earlier. I carefully lifted her sleeping form without waking her up, and easily carried her to my bed, placing her head onto my pillow while covering her up with the duvet at the end of the bed.   
I pushed the hair behind her ears that had fallen in front of her face, admiring her as she slept and thanking my lucky stars she was going to be alright. But as I turned around, fully prepared to make my bed in the big chair for the night, her hand reached out to grab my wrist lightly, and slowly said with eyes half closed, "Please don't leave me.."

I waited a moment, stunned at her words, before I was able to make any of my own. "Sweetheart, I don't think that's appropri-" I tried to whisper but she cut me off quietly. "It's fine, Sir. Everything is fine. Just stay.." Michaela offered, barely audible now that she was close to drifting off to sleep again.   
I gulped, knowing damn well I was crazy for even considering laying down next to her, but she needed comfort, even in a half awake state, Michaela was calling out for me to stay close to her, and that alone was something I never thought would happen.

Taking a deep breath, I sat down on the bed. Even with her almost unconscious with exhaustion, she still maintained a light grip on my wrist.. I managed to quietly kick off my boots, and used the two leftover pillows on my side of the bed to prop myself up against the headboard, making myself as comfortable as I could, not wanting to disturb her.   
She moaned, the sweetest sound possible escaping her soft lips, seeming content with me being where she wanted. Michaela's grip loosened, and her hand slipped back into place against her chest.   
I felt as if I sat there forever, happily watching as she rested, just contemplating everything that had happened the past week, and more specifically, the last twenty-four hours.

Seeing Michaela sleeping here next to me, so pure and innocent, I realized I felt somewhat guilty over how I'd been thinking about her lately. Even tonight, as she took off her coat, causing me to take notice of how good her body looked, I had been sexualizing a young girl who had just barely entered adulthood. On a night where she was scared and almost attacked, here I was being a hypocrite, looking at her body and imagining everything I wanted to do with her while she stood in my room, trusting me to keep her safe.   
I may have not acted on it like Torrin was about to do earlier, but it made me no better than him for even letting the thoughts pass through my mind.

Yet, I didn't know how to stop them from coming.. Sitting here with her resting, in my bed of all places, where I had been dreaming about her being since I met the girl over a week ago, I felt all of these emotions for her at once. That helped me come to the conclusion that.. even though my lust for her- with all the dirty fantasies that were always prominent in my mind, along with those feelings was something more. I loved her mind, her smile, the sense of humor that mirrored mine so well.. Her love for creatures, and the appreciation she held for dragons above all. It was everything. Not just insatiable lust that drove me. I may have let my eyes and my cock take the reins when I first met her, but my mind and heart had fallen for everything this girl was so quickly that I knew my intentions for Michaela were nothing like Torrin's. He wanted her body, to control and take for himself without thought or consequence, no consideration for how Michaela would feel. And I simply.. needed her. All of her, in my life, to keep me breathing, to wake me up from this coma I had put myself in since Fred passed. My feelings weren't numb anymore, they were on fire with everything Michaela had awoken inside me.

I needed to stop with this back and forth. I would protect her at all costs, keeping her safe from anyone that tried to cause her harm, and I would be sure to guard her reputation from prying eyes so her school life would be normal for the rest of the semester, but I would also make my feelings known to her as soon as I was able to.. When the time was right, I would tell her how I felt, and pray that she wanted me too.   
I would make this work. I had to.. But if she didn't want me, I would still be okay somehow. Just knowing I had her friendship would make it seem worthwhile. But I was done with second guessing my feelings. No woman has ever made me feel like she had, and I would do anything to hold onto what I had found. She was worth everything..

The epiphany I had just experienced was disturbed by Michaela moving next me, and I froze, wondering if she would wake. My heart was beating fast from my realization, and I wasn't sure if I was ready to talk to her just yet, worried that I might let my intentions slip out before I could even comprehend my next steps. But all she did was move in closer, throwing an arm over my waist. She shivered, and I understood that I must have felt like a source of warmth sitting next to her. I reached down to grab the extra quilt my mother had made that I kept down at the end of the bed, using it to cover my legs and her shoulders with it, trying to make her feel at ease.

I wrapped my arm around her shoulder, watching her breathing slow again, which made mine normalize as well. I felt like a young boy, feeling butterflies in my stomach from being around a new crush that I couldn't take my mind off of. Her arm was a pleasurable weight across my waist, causing my skin to tingle underneath my shirt along where it lay. I don't know how long I stayed that way, watching her, stroking her hair as she slept, but I eventually succumbed to sleep as well. Even though it was probably only a handful of hours, I ended up getting the best sleep of my life, finally being next to a person that fully put my soul at ease while she laid safely in my arms. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world that I could imagine in that moment.

However, that couldn't prepare me for what was in store when I would wake up..  
•••


	4. I Don't Mind If You Don't Mind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guess who's getting snowed in together (; <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took me so long to update <3 I promise that Michaela & Charlie's story is far from being over. More to come in the future :) Thank you for reading.

"I don't want to feel anything else than this  
Heart aching high for the night  
In this fast world everything changes and  
I'm not expecting you to  
Be with me, to stay with me  
But be with me, stay with me  
For the night.."   
-Elina

•••

I honestly believe that up until this point in my life, my mind and body has never known true peace. In this delightful, half-asleep dream state I was in, before the sun had risen, with embers still burning in the fireplace, I laid in my bed with a lavender scented warmth wrapped around me. It felt heavenly. I sighed contentedly, wishing to remain here for as long as possible.

But upon hearing a soft sigh, then an even more quiet sounding moan, my eyes immediately snapped open. Keeping my body completely still, I glanced down to find Michaela resting just as peacefully as I had a few moments ago, right in my arms. I was unsure of how we had ended up in this position.. But still thanked the universe regardless. Laying on my back with my head on a pillow, I glanced around the dark room that had a soft, grey light peeking through the closed curtains. The clock on the mantle above the fireplace read 6:27 am, making me realize that I'd only been asleep for four hours or so. Then I glanced back down at Michaela while my eyes adjusted to the light, really seeing her for  
the first time since I'd awakened.

I realized that my arm was curled around her back with my hand softly placed on her hip, and she had wrapped her little body around my own. Resting on her side with her head on my chest, Michaela had kept her arm across my waist since last night, and had accidentally thrown off one of the blankets. I could see the outline of her leg, and feel it even more, as it had crossed over my own, gently relaxed against my thighs, centimeters away from my noticeable morning erection. Attempting to calm it down, I instead tried to focus on her face.. causing my heart and breathing to slow.

The serene look she wore was.. inspiring. If I knew how to paint, I would capture her image right here as she slept. It's like I somehow finally understood why women had been such striking and powerful muses for artists over hundreds of years. Michaela was just that beautiful.. Her light, freckled skin was tinted pink from the body heat that formed between us. The long, auburn tresses spread out behind her on the pillow, but also left a few strands to fall along the line of her jaw, then across her bare neck. The furrow in her brow had relaxed completely since last night, allowing her worries to disappear as she slept. Her stunning eyelashes seemed even longer as I observed her up close... Lastly, the one feature I had focused on the most were Michaela's plump lips, parted slightly, and appearing even more soft and kissable than all the other times I'd seen her.

'If only I could just..' A quick thought had come into my mind before I could prevent it, and without questioning myself, I carefully ran my thumb along her bottom lip, selfishly enjoying how soft her skin felt again, if only for a moment. I went on to caress her cheek and admire her angelic face before forcing myself to stop. I know the action was more innocent than most of the terribly dark and dirty ideas I'd had that involved this Hufflepuff girl's flawless body, but somehow my cock was even more excited and alert, now well past the normal hardness I had each morning. And I hadn't even needed to glance down at her breasts for me to get to that point. My body was turning into a sex-crazed demon.. One that kept on only seeing Michaela as both the cause and the cure to my hellish ways.

My obsession with her pretty, little mouth will get me in trouble eventually. I had to stop touching her there without permission.. And I needed to untangle our bodies before she woke up. Even though I would have loved nothing more than to lay beside her the rest of the morning, exploring her as she slept... Even possibly waking her up with pleasure she had never known before.

'No.. Still too soon for that.' I thought to myself before lightly shaking my head to remove the bad idea from existence, then began to discreetly move my body from underneath Michaela as to not wake her. She moaned sensually in her sleep when I had laid her head back on the pillow after she had been using my chest as one for the last few hours. The sound made my cock twitch and ache for her, and I realized that I should just go shower and take care of my problem quickly before she would even notice. I couldn't think clearly like this, and needed to be level-headed by the time Michaela awoke.

Noiselessly moving away from the bed, I went into the bathroom and closed the door, started the water for the shower and brushed my teeth while it warmed up. I then stripped and went through my routine, audaciously adding in a hurried, but satisfying self-love session with my hand. The thrill of having my desired lover just in the next room embarrassingly pushed me over the edge almost immediately. By the time I was finished cleaning up, I began putting on my clothes, only to realize that I had forgotten my shirt.

I started to sneak back into my room, heading straight for my closet, but Michaela had apparently woken up already. She stood at my dresser, looking in the mirror while efficiently braiding her hair, like she'd done the maneuver 1,000 times over, somehow managing to make her beautiful curls look like she hadn't just woken up in a strange bed. Her clothes weren't even wrinkled, and the dress seemed as fresh as when I had first seen her in it yesterday..

I didn't want to startle her, so I managed to say, "Good Morning.. did you sleep well?" Michaela finally glanced over at me as she was tying the end of her braid with a small, black ribbon, and her eyes went wide at the sight of me. 'Shit.' I cursed in my head, remembering why I had come in here in the first place. "Good m-morning, Professor. Y-yes, I did. Thank you." She mumbled, but Michaela's eyes couldn't take themselves off of the skin that I was showing. Her delicious mouth was partially open in shock, and other words seemed on the tip of her tongue, but nothing came out.

Laughing just a little, I said, "Sorry, Michaela.. I just forgot my shirt," and made my way across the room, on the other side of where she was standing, to open my closet door. And then I heard her gasp lightly when she saw my back. "S-sir, your back.. does it h-hurt?" She questioned worriedly. I took the towel that was still using to drying my hair, and hung it up on the hook on the closet door, then turned to face her. "It's fine, Love.. The pain has long gone away."

"May I ask.. how you got them? They look like... claw marks. Was it a dragon?" She whispered, like it would still be in the room with us. The marks she had seen were three long slashes, from the top of my left shoulder blade to the middle of my back. "It was.. A younger dragon actually. A Hungarian Horntail. I had only been working at the reserve for less than a few weeks when it had escaped. She was scared, and I startled her when I happened upon her one night after supper, walking back from the dining hall. I turned around to call for back up further away from me and she clawed my back. I wasn't fully trained back then, and should have been more cautious and aware. It was hell, trying to heal those marks. But we had a decent healer when I started. An older woman, Miss Sophia. She retired a while back. She worked wonders though. This could have been a lot worse." My voice faded off, stuck in a flashback from that night. It was painful, but the memory of it faded over the years. I was touching the scar on my back, still shirtless, lost in thought.

"I think it looks interesting. Your skin tells so many stories, it seems.." Michaela commented, kindness and awe in her voice. I looked up into her eyes, and they had a spark there, a little glitter of intrigue and wonder on the surface. She bit her lip, and my heart skipped a beat. Her mouth was becoming my biggest weakness...

"I couldn't have imagined all the scars and tattoo's you had hidden underneath your clothes, Professor. I've truly never seen anything like it." She blushed at her confession, looking away from my eyes again as she fiddled with her hair. I was blushing myself from her comment, worried she would find it unattractive. But then she went on to say, "It looks like artwork, I think.. It's beautiful to look at." Now Michaela's own face had gone red, and I grinned at her, unsure of what to say to that. "I'm sorry, Sir, that was forward of me. I'm just not used to seeing tattoo's in person. They look.. extra special on you. Like it was made to form and merge with your scars. Does that make sense?" She gave an embarrassed giggle, and pushed a strand behind her ear before glancing up at me. "It does, yes. Thank you, Michaela.. Sometimes, when people see me like this, it can go in any direction. Normally pity, or slight disgust.. not really admiration. You've boosted my self-esteem quite a bit today, so I appreciate it." I smirked, and gave her a small wink before venturing further into my closet, looking for my favorite dark blue plaid shirt. It was the most comfortable thing I owned, and reminded me of home. For some unknown reason, I wanted to wear it just for her.

"Professor.. I think I should leave and go back to my dormitory before anyone wakes up. Would that be okay?.." Michaela asked politely. I saw her eyes go over my body again, a deep, rosy blush forming once more. She kept staring at my arms, where I had rolled up the sleeves of my shirt for today, showcasing some of my tattoo's and muscles. "Of course. You can go wherever you need to. Though.." I bit my own lip while I thought about a course of action. "I think it would be beneficial to go see McGonagall this morning. Would that be alright with you?"

"Absolutely.. I feel kind of bad for not doing it last night." Michaela frowned a little, memories from the night before coming back to her. "It'll be okay, Sweetheart. The Headmaster just wants to hear your side of things.. and to make sure you're fine. It will be a quick meeting, and I'll be beside you the entire time. You're not in trouble here. We are here to make you comfortable so you feel safe. We're going to make sure something like this doesn't happen again, I assure you."

She nodded, considering what to say next. "Thank you again, for everything. I don't know what I could do to repay you for your kindness." She looked like tears were suddenly forming in her eyes, but she blinked them away, shaking her head. My heart broke for her, and I wanted nothing more than to hold her in my arms again as we laid in my bed together.

"Here.. let me walk you back to Hufflepuff House. I'll wait for you to get ready, then you and I will meet with McGonagall. Afterwards.. I'd like your company while I run some errands that I've been putting off. That would make me happy. How does that sound?" She looked at me with an odd expression on her face at my request, but I could see a tiny smile coming back, bringing a light to her gorgeous features. "I would.. really like that, Sir. As long as you actually want me there and you're not doing it because you don't want me to be alone.. You're very sweet, I just don't want to be pitied or become a bother to anyone. I'm fine, really."

"I want you. I mean, I want you there. With me, today. I just have some really good ideas to put last night behind us that I think you'll love. I promise." I offered, stumbling over my words. 'I hope she didn't catch that first bit that I let slip out.' I wondered, foolishly wishing I could keep my cool around this girl. But she was grinning now, excitement bubbling beneath her precious smile. "Okay, then. I'd love to spend some more time with you today."

"Perfect. Let's go then, shall we?" I asked, while grabbing my coat, a small grin on my own face. Knowing she was going to be with me for a little bit longer today made my mood considerably happier. We walked to the door together, and I offered to help Michaela put her thin coat back on for the walk back through the drafty castle.

•••

I only had to wait for 15 minutes outside of Hufflepuff House for Michaela to freshen up and change. Thankfully no one else was awake this early on a Sunday, so Michaela and I were not spied upon. I didn't want anyone to wonder about our whereabouts or why we were together. And the talk between Minerva McGonagall seemed to go by just as quickly. She questioned Michaela, making sure she was okay. Then assured her like I had been all night, that Torrin would no longer be coming back to Hogwarts, and that the school would go through thorough measures to prevent something like this from ever happening again.

What I really liked was how McGonagall reassured Michaela how none of this was her fault. I think hearing it come from another person made her feel a little better about what had gone on last night. Then Minerva promised that no one would connect Michaela to Torrin's expulsion before walking us out of her office. I had Michaela wait a moment outside the door while I asked the Headmaster for permission to take Michaela off school grounds for a small field trip, to take her mind off of everything. I mentioned my plans, and promised it would be educational, which Michaela didn't know about, but I'm sure would love the surprise regardless. McGonagall smiled at the secret I shared with her, then wholeheartedly encouraged the outing, making me promise to throw in something fun, since it was after all, a Sunday, and still the weekend.

I thanked her, and said my goodbyes, then I asked Michaela to grab her warmest winter clothes, and we set off back to my room. "Sir.. why are we going to back here?" Michaela questioned cautiously, understandably so. "Well, my plans for us today require very warm clothes, and a way out of the country." I grinned back mischievously, giving her a wink as we put on our coats. "McGonagall graciously had my fireplace connected to the Floo Network, just in case I had a family or work emergency."

"We're going out of the country?.. As in, leaving Scotland? Where in the world do you have errands to run that you can't do in Hogsmeade?" Michaela laughed, still somewhat in disbelief over my explanation. "You'll see. Do you trust me?" I smiled at her while handing a small paper with an address on it for her to read off aloud. "I don't think I have much of a choice.. but yes, I trust you, Professor." She had a gleam in her eye that I couldn't quite describe, but seeing her with that sweet grin on her perfect face as she took a bit of Floo powder, stepped into my fireplace and read off an address from a strange Wizarding village she'd never heard of before, made me all the more excited for the endless possibilities that might happen with Michaela by my side today.

•••

I followed right behind Michaela, and landed in a dark, cold room just a few moments after she did. "Wow, you weren't kidding when you said to wear something warm. It's freezing here. Wherever 'here' is..." She trailed off, shivering as she wrapped her arms around herself. I chuckled, then took out my wand and soundlessly lit all the lamps in the room, then turned around and spelled a fire into existence in the same fireplace we'd just walked out of. Michaela's eyes adjusted to the light and looked around, taking in the small, cozy living area that we were standing in. It hadn't changed much in the last week or two that I'd been away. I had everything cleaned and organized before I ventured out to Hogwarts for the new semester that I would be teaching.

She observed everything for a few moments, not saying anything at first. We were surrounded by simple, but matching/comfortable looking furniture, with a few throw blankets and knitted quilts folded neatly over the backs of the couch and chairs. I had family pictures hung up on the walls and on the mantle, which Michaela noticed immediately, causing a pleasantly surprised look to grace her features. Then I watched as she stared in awe at the two large bookshelves that sat on either side of the fire place, fully stocked with books from floor to ceiling, and decorated with random knickknacks on the shelves that I'd collected over the years. She walked over slowly and was admiring a small, enchanted snow globe that had an old, captured memory of my siblings and I when we were younger, playing in the snow together. Something my father had gifted me the Christmas after Fred's death. It was one of my most cherished possessions. The fact that it was the first thing that drew Michaela away from her spot in an unknown room did not go unnoticed by me.

"This is beautiful.. I take it we're in your home?" She asked, eyes still focused on the snow-globe, entranced by the redheaded children silently laughing with one another in the glass orb as they played. "Yes. You figured it out quickly." My words came out softly as I walked over to her, watching the memory as well for a moment, reminiscing. Michaela looked at me suddenly, shock and excitement emanating from her. "Does that mean we're in Romania? Near the dragons?"

I grinned widely at the enthusiasm she was displaying. To have someone mirror my joy over the most wonderful creatures to ever take my breath away exhilarated me to no end. "We're just a short walk away from them. We're in the living quarters for the sanctuary workers. We each have our own home here, at least the ones that work full time. There's some that commute in from the busier part of the village, or apparate in. But I'm on call a lot while I'm here, and have been here a lot longer, so I keep a permanent residence."

"That is amazing! Do we get to see them soon? Am I allowed to go near one? If I get to work at the sanctuary, will I be able to live as close as you do?" Michaela barely took a breath as she bombarded me with questions, which I happily answered. "First, you and I are going to eat some breakfast and relax for a moment while I fill you in on some safety details. I'm going to give you a tour, and introduce you to a few of my friends and coworkers that are on duty today. You'll be able to see a lot of the dragons from a safe distance, but I think there's only one or two that would be okay to let you see up close without any more training.. and a release form." She giggled at the way I phrased the last bit, but understood that I was serious.

"I'll show you around the house since we're going to be here for most of the day, and then I'll cook us something and go over some of the things you need to learn before we head out." I said, then started walking towards the kitchen. "I like your place.. Your personality really shows through everything. Makes you seem more approachable." Michaela said as she came up behind me, smiling sincerely as she surveyed the new room we'd walked into. It was a decent sized kitchen, painted a cheery canary yellow. My mother had helped decorate some, within reason, and left it with a nice, homey touch. It was fully stocked and carefully organized with any tool I might need while cooking, which I did often when I was home. I learned from the best of the best, meaning my mother, Molly Weasley, so making something at home for myself was normally a lot easier and tasted better than whatever they were serving at the dining hall for the workers.

I showed her to the guest bathroom, and the extra bedroom I had for when family or friends would come to visit, then my office. "It almost resembles your office at school.." Michaela said thoughtfully as she walked around the room, looking very interested in my books. I watched her while she perused my collection, admiring every graceful move she made. Her jacket had come off somewhere between the living room and kitchen, as had mine, since the fire place had warmed up my small home rather quickly, so I was able to finally take in what she was wearing.

Michaela had dressed as warmly as I had instructed, but the tight, black V-neck sweater did nothing to hide the glorious curves the heavens had blessed her with... And it rode up slightly, revealing the sweetest, softest looking skin above her jeans. Sinful hips that I just craved to grip as she reached for a book above her head. She stopped mid-grab, and looked back at me, an embarrassed expression visible from where I was standing. "I'm sorry Sir, I didn't ask first.. I was just wondering about this book up here. It looks familiar. May I see it?" Michaela asked in the most delicious sounding voice. "Of course, Love.. whatever you need." My own voice sounded different to my ears, the dark lust I held for her coming to the surface. Michaela gave me one of her innocent yet alluring smiles, and I strode up behind her, standing closely behind to grab the book she wanted, which was a foot or so above her head.

Michaela turned around as I was bringing it down, and she had her back up against the shelf, with very little space between us now. "Oh, um.. Th-thank you. Sometimes I wish I was a bit taller. A few more inches and I could be totally self-sufficient." Michaela giggled shyly, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear that had fallen out of her braid, blushing as she looked up into my eyes. I was speechless from those bright green jewels staring into me. I bit my lip, smiling as I nervously rubbed my hand on the back of my neck, then without a rational thought, I said, "I think you're rather perfect."

My statement had silenced the room, both of us not breathing for a moment. Michaela's face went from mildly confused to showcasing a knowing smirk as she processed her own thoughts, and I tried to change what I'd blurted out. "I.. I mean that your height is perfect. For a number of reasons. Mainly a boost to my ego, ya know? Makes me feel good about myself, being able to do things for other people. You need anything from the top shelf, I'm your man." My nervous chuckle broke the silence, and she giggled too. "It also helps because I'm technically shorter than the rest of my brothers, so you're making an old man feel useful." I made another poor attempt at a joke, wanting to keep that pretty smile on her face.

"Oh, come off it." She outright laughed, her pearly, white teeth flashing, giving me want I wanted. "You're.. what? Six or seven years older than me? You are far from being an old man." Michaela scanned me up and down, checking me out quickly. "Yes.. very far from it." She reddened even more, stood up a little straighter and cleared her throat, clearly worried of what I was thinking. Grinning devilishly at her, my confidence high, I said, "I'm probably about 10 years your senior. You just turned 18, correct, Love?"  
She stared at me, seemingly shocked. "Y-yes. I did. O-on the 21st.. So you're... 28?"

"You guessed correctly." Giving her another wink, I forced myself to move away from our close encounter, which was difficult. My body screamed at me to stay near Michaela, next to the heat of her skin, the glow of her honeyed smile. Her gravitational pull was almost too strong to ignore at times.. "If you'd like, you can bring that book into the kitchen to look at while I make us breakfast. Would you prefer some tea while you read?" I asked, glancing back at her to see if she would follow. Michaela stood there, frozen in the spot, looking as if she was wrestling with a decision inside her head. She looked up at me, comprehending what I had just asked, and nodded quickly, giving a small thanks to the offer for tea as she followed me into the kitchen, and I realized how badly I wanted to read her mind in that moment. I wasn't sure if she didn't like my age, or felt uncomfortable, or any other number of bad thoughts popping into my head that I tried to push down.

"Would you like some help with breakfast?" Michaela offered as she sat the book down on the table, but I shook my head, politely declining the suggestion. "You relax, and go ahead and read for a while. That's a good book you chose." She smiled at me, and then took a seat, cracking open the old novel. I was content in watching her while I cooked. She became immediately engrossed in what she was reading, barely looking up at me as I placed a hot cup of tea next to her. She would smile and sip as she read on, and the scene warmed my heart for some odd reason. Having her here in my home, catering to her needs as she immersed herself in my world, felt right. The energy of having Michaela here seemed important, and the thought of her settling down here with me crossed my mind several times.

When I had finished cooking the meal, I placed two plates full of eggs, bacon and toast down onto the table and sat across from her. She had finally looked up, and I actually heard Michaela's stomach growl as she noticed the food. "Oh, god.. that's embarrassing. I'm sorry." She scrunched her face up in a cute frown, and I chuckled at her reaction. "It's okay, mine was growling too the entire time I was at the stove. We had a significant amount of bacon before but I consumed a large portion of it already. These are the leftovers." I joked, and it brought another smile to her lips. "I'm glad your appetite is as large as mine. Now I won't be half as embarrassed when you see me scarf all of this down. It smells amazing." She took a bite of bacon and closed her eyes, moaning lightly, enjoying the taste. Hearing her make that sound gave me the sudden urge to drink a large glass of cold water.. Michaela licked her lips and my cock had the audacity to stiffen while sitting across from her, watching her eat a simple meal. "Aren't you going to eat, Sir?" She asked, taking a sip of tea while studying the lack of interest in my own plate.

"Oh! Yes, yes I am. Sorry.. I was just trying to remember if I had an extra pair of dragon hide gloves lying around for you to use today. I think I have a pair in my dresser that my sister left on her last visit. They should fit you well, I'm sure. You both appear to have small hands." I took a breath, surprised that I was able to conjure up an excuse like that out of nowhere, then proceeded to eat my own breakfast. She seemed to accept that response and ate hers as well, and we talked on as we savored our meal, discussing things about the reserve and the main safety rules she would need to know.

Afterwards, I had quickly spelled the dishes clean while she excused herself to the restroom, and after grabbing a handful of supplies, we were ready to make our way to the main office. I introduced her to the leader of the reserve, and a handful of my associates that weren't busy out on the field.   
Michaela found a way to charm every person she met. The shy, polite side of her mixed well with the witty and occasionally courageous part of her personality. Every person she was introduced to was enchanted with her immediately. By the time all the introductions were out of the way and we were heading out, my boss had practically offered her a job on the spot.

"We'd be lucky to have you here with us this summer, Miss Peralta. You'd be a great addition to the team." Serghei gushed, shedding the hardened exterior that he normally uses to intimidate and bring caution to new recruits as a form of awareness for how serious the job can be. But Michaela had made it clear upfront of how dedicated she was to wanting to work here, and Serghei went from gruff to all out teddy bear in under a few minutes of being in her company. The older man was ready to do the paperwork before I told him she needed to graduate first. The look of disappointment was evident on his face, but he reassured her that she would be welcomed as soon as she was ready.

Michaela kept her composure together until we were alone, walking down the empty path towards the main gate that led to the dragon enclosure, then she jumped excitedly up and down, grabbing my hands in her own as she laughed giddily. "Can you believe it?! I can't believe they want me to actually work here! This is insane! Absolutely insane!" Then she hugged me with a strength that resembled my own mother's whenever I came home for the Holidays. Michaela took my breath away by shock first and then sheer force, but I managed to hug back the thrilled, passionate Hufflepuff girl with the same enthusiasm.

"You're going to be amazing. But hopefully you won't be sick of me by then." I remarked playfully. "You'll have me first as a teacher then you're gonna be stuck with me indefinitely as my apprentice when you graduate."

"You make it sound like a bad thing, Professor. It's much more ideal for me than you realize.." Michaela paused, probably realizing she had shared more than she'd wanted to. "Well, you know, because of how great you are at teaching. We already get along so well. It's a perfectly adequate student/teacher relationship, wouldn't you agree?" She tried to act calm, but her reddened cheeks gave her away. I wasn't about to embarrass her further, but the thought that she actually wanted me.. at least, the idea that she didn't recoil at spending more time with me, was enough to keep me happy for the next several days. I was definitely going to cherish the feeling.

"Yes, absolutely. We get along just fine, Love. Couldn't ask for a better person to work with."   
I watched her breathe in a sigh of relief, and before an awkward silence could begin, we heard a roar down the path, through the trees. Michaela grabbed my hand in surprise, and her eyes went wide, but her grin showed that she wasn't afraid at all, just excited. "Do we get to go see them now?" Michaela asked hopefully, and I shook my head yes, my heart bursting with joy from the thrill of sharing this experience with someone I was becoming close to. I felt alive for the first time in years, and it was all thanks to her.

•••

Witnessing Michaela interact with one of the more docile dragons was a sight to see. Her eyes lit up when she was able to get close enough to the Welsh Green. It was an older dragon, on the small side, but still quite large compared to the young girl that was cautiously approaching him. She followed my instructions, careful not to startle the magnificent creature, and was finally able to place her hand on his snout after it had bowed low enough for her to reach. The dragon accepted her affection, and appeared almost human-like in nature, reminding me of the noble, caring energy that some grandparents gave off when catering to the needs of a small child. Michaela spoke softly to the dragon, offering sweet words of praise and thanks, in awe of just being in his presence. The dragon then closed its eyes, seeming content with the soft words being spoken to him as he relaxed from the gentle feeling of her hands.

"This guy has been through a lot. We found him a little while after I had started working here, chained up in a cave far away from where his natural home would have been. We had heard news of dragon poachers, and when we went to investigate, I guess someone had tipped them off, but still ran off in a bit of a hurry, leaving him behind. He was scared of us, and had definitely not been treated properly.. but we were able to take him back here to the sanctuary, and in time, he began to trust humans again." I explained, coming to stand next to her to, caressing the dragon's head for a moment.

"Do a lot of dragons come from bad situations?" Michaela asked, a solemn look appearing in her eyes as she gazed up at me. "A decent amount, yes.. but a lot are born here as well. Or brought here for being too rambunctious around muggle villages." I chuckled at this thought, thinking of a younger, more exuberant dragon that I had found right before going back to Hogwarts.

"We do a lot of work trying to hide their identity from the muggle world so as not to attract more harm or attention to them. We have a lot of space for them to roam freely within the protection wards, and they have their own territories in the sanctuary, but we occasionally release them back to their homelands, far away from civilization. This is a good place for them to live out their days, but some dragons just need to be back in the true wild." I mentioned, smiling down at her. She seemed content with these insights I had just given her, apparently answering some questions she had been wondering but had not spoken aloud to me just yet.

After showing Michaela around the rest of the sanctuary, at least to some of the parts that could be reached by foot while still maintaining a safe distance away from the dragons that she wouldn't be able to interact with until later, I took her out to lunch. Then we walked around the village afterwards, allowing her to get acquainted with the wonderful locals that I had come to know as friends since arriving here myself.

It had started to snow again, heavier this time, so we hurried back to my home so we could get back to school before it got too late. Just as I was opening my door, an owl had flown and landed right on the railing of my front porch. "I wonder what this could be.." I smiled, slightly confused. We walked inside to the warm house, not wanting to stand out in the cold. Before opening the letter, I walked over to the table beside my front door to dig an owl treat out of the container sitting there, and Michaela kindly took it from my hand to pass along to the winged creature as I began to open the note up.

I started to read, and I guess Michaela caught sight of the worried, surprised look that had appeared in my once happy features. "What's wrong, Professor?.. Is everything alright?" She inquired, carefully closing the door and took off her coat while waiting for me to reply. "It's from the Headmaster.. Apparently there's been an incident at the school. There's not much details, but she said everyone is safe and going back home to stay with their own families for a few days while they get the situation under control." I handed the note to her so she could read the message too, and she gasped in surprise at the part scrawled at the bottom of the note, which is what had caused my heart to speed up quickly. "She said I have to stay with you since we're already here out of harms way.. Am I not supposed to go home, Sir?"

"I think that since you're already here, far away from the castle with supervision, McGonagall thought it best not to have to send you all the way back to the states, I'm assuming.." I shrugged, rereading the note once more to be sure. Thinking to flip over the paper, I saw that a small bag of Michaela's needed things would arrive by tomorrow morning, which I then told her, and she sighed at the mention, grateful to have at least a few of her personal comforts available to her over the next few days.

"I'll try to get in contact with McGonagall to see what's going on exactly.. I wonder if they're going to be okay without me there. Surely if it was a serious situation, they'd need all hands on deck." I scratched the back of my head, feeling a bit guilty for not being there while something important was happening at the school. Michaela walked up and placed a hand gently on my arm. "It'll be alright, Sir. I have faith in the headmaster. She's sure to handle things properly. I'm positive of it." Michaela offered one of her glowing, genuine smiles, and I placed my hand over hers, nodding in agreement, feeling somewhat better. "You're probably right, Love. I'll just send an owl back for more details, and we can worry more about it tomorrow if need be." I replied, thankful that she was here with me instead of at the school, in possible danger, or all the way back in the U.S. with her family.

"Are you sure it's okay for me to stay here, Professor? I feel kind of rude for putting you out for a second time. You've already taken care of me so much this weekend.." Michaela looked down, fiddling with her ring again, unsure of what my thoughts were about her staying with me longer than originally thought. "Trust me, Sweetheart. I'd much rather have you here than anywhere else. You're not a bother to me at all. And I appreciate your company, I promise you."

"Thank you.." Michaela trailed off, a blush creeping onto her face. "I, uhm.. feel a little silly asking this, but since we're staying here, I was wanting to shower soon.. but I also don't have any of my clothes here. I was wondering if you'd have anything I could borrow until my bag arrives tomorrow?"

"Oh, absolutely! It's good you mentioned that. It kind of slipped my mind." I laughed, trying to ease any awkwardness this sweet angel was feeling. "Here, follow me. I'll go through some things in my room, I'm sure we'll scrounge something up." I reassured Michaela, and led the way towards the one room I hadn't shown her on the tour of my house earlier today.

My own bedroom at home was a little bigger than what I had at Hogwarts. I spent a lot more time in here, resting and reading in bed on my days off whenever I stayed at home. Not having my own room while growing up made me appreciate having a house all to myself.. but it could get lonely sometimes. I realized that Michaela being here made everything seem brighter in retrospect. I felt almost giddy, seeing endless possibilities appear in my mind. Having her here to myself, away from the pressures of academia and curious eyes, I had the feeling that we'd be able to get to know one another a lot easier. Whatever had happened at Hogwarts was turning out to be more of a blessing in disguise, giving me the time I needed to sort out my feelings for the beautiful girl walking in behind me.

I looked at Michaela while I opened up my closet door, and studied her for a moment as she glanced around my tidied room. "Hmm... finding something for you might prove to be more difficult than I realized." I pondered aloud. Michaela looked at me then, taking her eyes off of the large, cozy bed that she'd been eying rather intently, blushing deeply from being brought out of whatever daydream she'd been having.

"Oh, why is that, Sir?" She asked hesitantly, obviously feeling insecure all of a sudden, since she went to cross her arms over her stomach, trying to hide it from view. "Because you're like a sweet, tiny fae visiting from the forest compared to me. I'm a good head taller than you and could probably.." I trailed off, stopping the dirty image I instantly had of wrapping my large hands easily around her waist, helping her bounce that sexy figure on my cock as I pounded into her from below. Oh, how I would give anything to test that theory..

"My clothes are going to swallow your little body whole," I said as evenly as I could manage, quickly running my eyes over her short, yet curvy body, trying to give her a friendly smile as I finally looked into her eyes. "I'm sure whatever t-shirt you have would be good enough until morning, Professor. It might feel like a smaller nightdress than I'm used to, but I've worn less to bed. It's really not an issue, I promise." Michaela laughed lightly, wrapping a loose curl at the end of her braid around her finger as she waited for me to find her something. I could feel my body react to the thought of her in one of my t-shirts, preferably with nothing underneath, and I turned around, trying to hide the dirty smirk I knew was plastered to my face as I buried my head into the closet, looking for something.. appropriate.

"Love, you'd freeze your arse off sleeping only in that. At least, while staying here in the dead of winter with a snowstorm hitting us. I honestly shouldn't even put you in the guest bedroom. I need to re-insulate it. My brother Ron, and his fiancé Hermione almost froze to death last winter when they stopped in for a visit. Joked with me the next morning about how they had to cuddle for warmth all night, even after pilfering the rest of the blankets in the house." I chuckled at the memory, suddenly missing my brother and his wife-to-be out of the blue. I need to make another trip to The Burrow to visit everyone soon..

"I'd be completely fine on the couch in front of that lovely fireplace, Professor. And as for clothes, if it would be easier, I already have a tank top I can charm clean underneath what I'm wearing. All I'd need is a thicker sweater and maybe some sweatpants, which I can tie tightly and roll up so that they fit. Trust me, girls know how to make something work in a pinch." Michaela quipped lightheartedly. "Alright, sweetheart. That, I can work with." I chuckled, finding a comfy, dark green button up sweater that Fleur, my sister-in-law, had gotten me for Christmas a few years back. Turning around, I went to my dresser and found a pair of light grey sweatpants that were a little on the small side for me, but would still be a bit too large on Michaela to actually fit perfectly. But it would do until morning. I added in a new pair of woolen socks too, knowing that they would combat the cold floors wonderfully as she walked around until we went to bed.

"Feel free to use this shower instead of the one in the guest bathroom. The water pressure is better in here." I offered, turning up a switch which illuminated the doorway next to my closet. The bathroom, painted a relaxing blue color with soft lighting, had a large claw foot tub big enough to fit two people comfortably, and came with a removable shower head. Moving into this house after living in a tiny one bedroom apartment for my first two years on the reserve had plenty of upsides, this bathroom being one of them.

"There's plenty of towels and wash clothes in that cabinet in the corner, and I have any extra toiletries you might need underneath the sink. Take as long as you need, Love. I'm going to go take a quick shower in the other bathroom, then I have a few letters to write, so I'll be in my study for a little while. Make yourself comfortable, and don't hesitate to wander around and borrow any books you want. I'll try to make us some dinner in an hour or two, unless you get hungry sooner. Let me know if you need anything, okay?" I smiled at her, feeling good about being able to cater to her needs. It felt.. enjoyable, just taking care of someone that I wanted to make happy, whose presence here made everything seem better all around.

She smiled brightly at me, knocking the air from my lungs in a single second. I couldn't get over how radiant Michaela was when she blasted me away with a smile like that, meant for my eyes only. She was literally breathtaking, and it took hardly any effort at all for her to do it to me. "Thank you, Sir. I will." She said softly, and our hands touched for moment as she took the clothes I offered her. I instantly felt a quick surge of energy I'd never experienced before, just from that touch, and it felt like it set every nerve in my body ablaze, making me feel heavily aware of Michaela's form in front of me. She looked at me too, and I assumed she had felt the same thing because of the small, sharp intake of breath I heard come from her lips. I looked down at our hands that were still slightly touching one another, and saw a dainty, but beautiful magical-looking gold chain wrapped around both of our wrists, connecting the two of us together. I looked back up at Michaela, who's eyes had never left my face, then glanced back down to our hands, and blinked, because I thought my mind had been playing a trick on me. The pretty chain that I could have sworn still felt real against my wrist had disappeared, leaving no trace at all, other than a sudden strong urge to feel Michaela's hand in my own.

Michaela hadn't witnessed it, so I assumed that I was for sure seeing things. I smiled up at her, feeling silly and confused, but pretended that everything was fine. She held the items close to her chest, giving a grateful nod in my direction before turning around and closing the door between us. I stood there for a little longer, in a daze, but hearing the shower start up woke me from the trance I had been in. I walked away from the room, trying to focus on the things I had to do, but in the back of my mind I held onto the possibility that maybe what I had.. thought I saw, was significant, and required a further investigation into what it could have been.

But I was also tired from the early morning we had with the trip and all of the activities, so for now, I would just act as if it were nothing, and try to relax for the rest of the night. I had a guest to entertain, and to my knowledge, no work for the next few days.   
Things were looking up, and my excitement from earlier came back, replacing any worrisome thoughts.

•••

After taking a lightning quick shower, and changing into a dark red pair of pajama pants, along with a comfortable, yet form fitting black t-shirt, I went to place my dirty clothes in the hamper that I had stored in my closet. The bedroom was dark from the light I had turned off while Michaela was in the bathroom, but I saw a crack in the walk way with light filtering through, and I realized that the door hadn't closed completely when she had gone inside.

The shower was still going, and I could smell the shampoo I normally used in my own hair mixing pleasantly with the steam wafting out of the door. Over the sound of the water, I could hear a beautiful voice singing something quietly, the lyrics getting lost in the noise from the spray of water. The water then stopped suddenly, and I froze. While looking through the crack in the door, a flash of beautiful, pale skin became visible as the shower curtain was pulled back.

She was still singing quietly, a solemn but heartfelt tune I hadn't heard before leaving her lips and creating something more gorgeous than anything I'd heard in a while.

"Move with me  
Stay with me  
Like we'd fall apart  
Hands searching so swiftly  
Steal me all you want  
I'm eager, I'm anxious  
I've never been with someone like this before  
But I don't mind if you don't mind  
Exploring close  
No I don't mind if you don't mind.."

Michaela trailed off, just humming now as she ran the towel over her glistening skin, and I turned away quickly, my face heating. I had seen her long, red curls, still wet from the shower, falling gently over her back, grazing her hips, and watched a few drops of water drip onto the sultry curve of the most heavenly ass I'd ever seen in my 28 years of life.

I snuck away from the room immediately, and carefully closed the door to my office, feeling my mind run away with all these thoughts going through my head. I couldn't believe I had spied on Michaela without her permission.. I felt terrible. But I couldn't deny the desire I had for her coursing through me, along with the scandalous nature of it all. I wanted to march back in there just so I could lick away any stray drops of water, and to pick Michaela up, sit her on the sink, and kneel in front of her soft, clean body, spreading her legs open and devouring all of the arousal from her sinfully tight, little pussy.   
I wanted to hear her moan, and observe how she would attempt to stop all these naughty feelings that were overpowering her former innocence. To see her give into the lust that I knew was running through the both of us.. And to watch that gorgeous body grind against my tongue, feeling it lash at her clit until she screamed my name.

I was so close to pulling out my throbbing cock again, feeling it overwhelmingly straining inside my pants, when I heard a knock on my door. Grabbing a pen and some parchment, thankful for the desk covering my lap, I said "Come in," trying to appear preoccupied with the letter I was starting without showing how hard my heart was beating for Michaela when she walked inside.

And seeing her in my clothes did nothing to calm it. The innocent, sexy redhead, who's deliciously tempting, fuckable ass I had just laid eyes on, looked so cute in everything she had put on. The sweater I had given her to wear hung loosely on her small frame, but Michaela had decided to keep it unbuttoned, showcasing her body far more than I had ever seen it.. while in actual clothes, that is. The tight, light blue, strappy tank top that she had worn underneath her black sweater earlier left little to the imagination, and I absolutely loved it.

Having to roll the pants a bit around her delectable hips so they would fit better caused a beautiful amount of skin to show, especially since the shirt stopped just a few inches shy of exposing her navel. The absolute best part about it though.. was how tight and low cut it was around her pert breasts. The delicious, taut peaks were almost visible through the thin material, and I had to will myself to look away, as to prevent my mouth from watering and to stop my male gaze from making Michaela uncomfortable.

"Hey Professor, I'm sorry to interrupt," she said sheepishly, rubbing her hand on the back of her neck as she smiled slightly from where she was standing. "I was wondering if you'd seen that book I was reading this morning? I forgot it on the kitchen table but it's not there anymore."   
"Ah, I had picked it up to go put it in the living room, but I got distracted while grabbing something out of here earlier and laid it down on that small table by my reading chair." I nodded over to the large, soft chair on my left, where the book sat on an antique wooden side table underneath a small lamp. "Thank you. If it weren't for that fact that I was dying to see the dragons, I wouldn't have wanted to put it down. I think I got through at least a third of it before we left." Michaela mentioned dreamily as she walked over to the table, clearly already excited for the next chapter.

"You can sit there and read while I work, if you'd like. I should only be a little while. That chair is perfect for curling up with a good book. I've fallen asleep a lot in it too." I laughed, smiling up at her. "I'm glad you're letting me read in here. I know you said I could wander around but I always feel nervous making myself at home in a new friend's house for the first time. I normally stick to their side like glue, if I'm being honest." Michaela giggled shyly, shrugging her shoulders simultaneously. "Just one of my many awkward habits."

"Nah, I think that's sweet. It's always intimidating visiting a new place, especially having to sleep over in a different bed. I understand." I reassured her. Nodding in agreement, she took the book and sat down, but while I was turning my head back to the task at hand, I saw the neatly folded napkin she had used as a bookmark fall to the floor when Michaela opened the cover to find where she had left off.

She bent over to pick it up, unknowingly giving me the most stimulating view of the beautiful, round handfuls of her sweet breasts hidden inside her shirt. Michaela's hardened nipples were so close to being revealed to me that I held my breath, but she righted her self when she was able to grab onto the small square of paper that had partially slid under her chair. Making herself cozy, she wrapped the sweater snuggly around her body, tucked her sock-covered feet underneath her legs, and began to read silently, content and unaware of the glimpse of paradise she had almost exposed to me.

I let out the breath I'd been holding in, trying to clear my mind.. Yet I still found myself glancing back over at her, and she looked up from her book at the same time, causing her cheeks to darken when our eyes met. But Michaela smiled at me for a few seconds, holding my gaze, and I smirked back at her too, then she dropped her eyes from my own, trying to hide that playful grin from me like she was withholding a secret. I wasn't sure what that brief, silent exchange meant, and was honestly most likely reading way too much into it, but it left me with an excited energy. I then began to work diligently on the letters I needed to write, because my need to move the night forward, to talk and spend more time with my little Hufflepuff, kept growing.

Within half an hour, I had finally finished, and Michaela followed me out, walking into the kitchen with me. I accepted her offer this time, allowing her to help me cook dinner, and we got to work making a delicious, simple meal consisting of a salad, spaghetti with meatballs, and garlic bread. Wanting to get to know Michaela a bit more, I spent time asking about her family, childhood friends, and about what school was like back home in the states before coming to Hogwarts. She went on to explain how most of her old school mates that she wrote from time to time were busy worrying about preparing for college, and getting excited about the Prom that they would attend before graduation. She appeared to look a bit wistful after sharing this piece of information, and I wondered if she had any regrets about not being able to attend. So I asked her.

"I've always wondered what it would be like, going to a normal high school, getting ready for college, and being able to buy a new dress with my friends for prom, but honestly.. I wouldn't trade the Hogwarts experience for anything. It's a different kind of slight stress, sure, but.. It's been amazing. My friends back home have no idea of the possibilities that are within my grasp. They all think I just went away to a far-off boarding school that my fathers side of the family pushed me to go to. I mean, in a way, I have. But all those things back home, the life I would have lived, pales in comparison to my life now and the future that I'm about to step into. I've felt more alive being here in the Wizarding World than I ever felt when I lived at home." Michaela explained, seeming to appear more at ease after talking through the emotions she was having before I inquired about them.

"Well, I'm glad you're here. You are one of the brightest witches I have ever met, and I have Hermione Granger as a future sister-in-law, so that's saying something, I assure you." I winked at her, and she went on to gush about how much she looked up to Hermione. Michaela was a few years below Hermione, Ron & Harry, so she had apparently always greatly admired the trio of friends. Hermione had even tutored Michaela in potions during her last year at Hogwarts that she returned to complete after the war. It was a small world..

"Uh.. Professor." Michaela got my attention after I had been lost in thought for a moment, giving me a sudden worried expression. "I think your stove just caught on fire." She mentioned, somewhat alarmed while her hands had stopped rolling the meatballs, and I turned around quickly, noticing the dish towel I had carelessly thrown on the counter, far too close to the stove where the water was starting to boil for the pasta. The entire piece of cloth was in flames now, threatening to latch on to the nearby wooden spice rack I had a placed there for easy access while I cooked.   
"Shit." I cursed, and quickly grabbed my wand off the counter next to me, hastily casting a spell to cause the disaster to cease. I was able to fix the minor damage, and by the time I had turned back around, Michaela was outright laughing at me.

"You cheeky, little devil. Are you really making fun of me right now?" I questioned with a incredulous grin plastered to my face. "Oh, absolutely. A well-trained dragonolgist almost catching his own kitchen on fire is peak comedy. Outstanding, really." Michaela bit her bottom lip to keep from laughing even more, failing miserably as she continued to roll out the last seasoned meatball, placing it onto the pan in front of her. "I can't wait to see what your next act will be." The sassy girl actually winked at me before turning around to wash her hands in the sink. Wanting to give Michaela a taste of her own medicine, I walked up behind her, used a deep, yet quiet voice, and said, "Keep up those cute, bold remarks about my competence in the kitchen and I'll show you how I deal with wild, naughty creatures who misbehave on my watch, Miss Peralta.." I chuckled darkly, feeling rather mischievous as I placed my hand on her exposed hip, giving the sexy curve a soft squeeze and a pat before reaching up with my other hand to grab a sauce pan that was hanging right above her head over the kitchen sink.

That delicious sounding gasp I was coming to love broke through again, and I smiled where she couldn't see me, turning around to focus on the rest of the food. I enjoyed rattling her a little, so knowing I could make her adorably nervous from a small touch and my deep voice delighted and turned me on at the same time.

Once dinner was ready, we ate and talked some more, somehow never running out of topics. It was so much easier to discuss everything with Michaela, and I still couldn't believe how natural this felt. It was a wonderful feeling, and if I was being honest with myself, I never wanted it to end..

When we had finished our meal, we decided to go sit in the living room by the fire. Michaela brought with her a cup of tea, and I made myself a glass of whisky to enjoy. I turned on the radio for an easy background noise, and the popular song "Magic Works" by The Weird Sisters was playing. Sitting down next to Michaela on the couch, I made myself comfortable, stretching my arm across the back while propping my feet up on the matching ottoman in front of us. I took a sip of my drink, closing my eyes for a moment, feeling a deep sense of peace. The atmosphere was perfect, and along with the best company I could ask for, I realized how happy I was.

Opening my eyes, I searched for Michaela, noticing how she had also made herself cozy by leaning into the arm of the couch, and stretching her legs across the remainder of the seat while she sipped her tea, bending her knees just enough to where she didn't allow her feet to touch me. I smiled at her in my relaxed state, and gently grabbed her feet, placing them on my lap. "There, Love. Now you're just as cozy as I am." I winked at her, and saw her blush as my arms stayed there, resting over her legs.

"Thank you, Professor." She said quietly, smiling softly at the bit of affection I showed her. I realized something then. While I adored hearing her call me the proper terms, especially when Michaela called me 'Sir,' I noticed that there's one thing she had yet to address me by. "Hey Sweetheart, I know this might seem a bit informal, but.. If we're alone, and interacting on a friendly basis instead of professional, I really don't mind if you call me by my first name.. You can call me Charlie, if you'd like..." This time I was the one giving her a shy smile, and I took another sip of the delicious alcohol in my hand, trying to sooth my sudden nerves.

Michaela looked at me, somewhat surprised, her mouth falling open while trying to think of what to say. "Hmm.. I know, feels weird, doesn't it? It's okay, Love. I get it; I'm working with some professors now who actually taught me when I went to school at Hogwarts, and it feels very odd referring to them by their first names too." I assured her, trying to brush off any awkwardness that either of us were feeling. "No, no... it's not that, Sir. I mean, kind of, but not quite. It's different, but you also haven't been there as long as the others. You're younger, you know?.. Closer to our generation than all the other teachers. And you're more laid-back. This must honestly be even more odd for you, having a group of students call you Professor even though you were in their same spot just a handful of years ago." She chuckled, her eyes catching mine as she licked her soft lips, then sipped at her tea for a moment.

"I'm okay with it, I promise. I might slip back into calling you, 'Sir' or 'Professor' occasionally, but I do believe it would make us both more comfortable to be on a first name basis, especially if we're going to be working side by side in a few months. I'll just be getting a head start." Michaela said kindly, reminding me of how wise the young woman could be. She then held out her hand, with a little smile coming to capture my heart yet again. "So.. Charlie." She tested it out, my name rolling off her tongue in the sweetest sounding voice, making every other person that had ever spoken my first name irrelevant in my eyes. "I'm Michaela. Glad to make your acquaintance. It's going to be a pleasure working with you." A giggle escaped her lips, and I laughed too, taking her hand and shaking it, playing along with the adorable game.

I held onto her hand for another moment, enjoying the warmth, and she didn't appear uncomfortable in any sense. She gave my hand a soft squeeze, and I looked down where we touched, seeing the magical gold chain linking us together again, glowing brighter than before. Looking up at Michaela, I saw her blush sweetly, then she carefully took her hand back from my loose grasp, pushing a curl behind her ear and gazed into her mug, a small smile on her face. I looked back down just in time to see the beautiful chain that had held our wrists together, vanishing from sight once more. She still hadn't noticed it, but I had, and realized that I was either seriously going crazy, or something was actually going on.. And I needed to find out as soon as possible.  
•••


	5. Bloom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait- life got away from me, but I spent all day working on the new chapter that had been in my head for months yesterday, it just took me a while to clear my head and get it all down. I want to apologize for the length.. before I realized it, I had hit 17,000 words and then I think I promptly fell asleep after that lol-  
> I had also wanted to edit the previous chapters to make Michaela be of age. I am so deeply sorry for offending anyone with that detail.   
> Thank you all for sticking with this story and supporting it. Anything to do with Charlie Weasley makes my heart melt, and being able to write about him with the image I have for him in my mind does my mental health a world of good. <3 Each and every version that this fandom produces of our gorgeous dragon man is a fantastic addition, and I'm thankful to be surrounded by them all.   
> Always, MP <3

"In the morning when I wake  
And the sun is coming through  
Oh, you fill my lungs with sweetness  
And you fill my head with you

Shall I write it in a letter?   
Shall I try to get it down?  
Oh, you fill my head with pieces  
Of a song I can't get out

Can I be close to you?"  
-The Paper Kites

•••

Still on the couch two hours later, Michaela listened intently as I told her another story. She appeared to not grow tired of them, paying attention with an adoring fascination that thrilled me to no end. I'd only gotten up during this time to refresh our drinks, then Michaela would be pulling me right back into our conversation, which was currently on the subject of my adventures into the forbidden forest that I used to go on when I attended Hogwarts.

"You sounded so.. fearless. I couldn't imagine going in there when I was 12. I was nervous venturing in with Hallie when we were 16. We needed ingredients for a potion but couldn't find what was required in the potions classroom, so we snuck out one night to pick some plants. We didn't run into anything scary but we were definitely on edge the entire time." Michaela laughed, an embarrassed look on her face as she recounted the memory.

"It can be a dangerous place, Love. It's good you were cautious of it. But it's also a beautiful, mysterious land.. There's still so much to discover inside it. It holds a great magic.. an old magic. One you can feel just by standing on the edge of the wood. I was just a bit more reckless as a young boy and went in without worrying about the consequences too much." I smirked at her, enjoying the conversation.

She suddenly stifled a yawn then, visibly tired from the days activities and the late night talk, but tried to hide it, not wanting to go to sleep just yet. "Sweetheart, I think that you and I should get some rest." I suggested, also noticing how my voice deepened with the threat of my own yawn attempting to escape. "I know you're right, but I feel like a child fighting sleep on Christmas Eve. I'm so excited just being here in Romania that I feel like if I fall asleep I'm going to end up missing out on something important." Michaela smiled to herself before downing the last of her tea.

"I promise it will still be here when you wake up." I chuckled, glancing towards the window for a moment. "Though.. if the snow keeps coming down like it is, I don't believe that we'll be able to do much more exploring. Unless we get the okay to go back to Hogwarts, you and I might be cooped up in this house together for another day or two." I looked back towards Michaela just in time to see her bite her lip, watching a wide grin quickly disappear when she noticed my darkened eyes on her. Good to know she didn't seem too upset by the prospect of extra time with me..

I eyed her a moment more, entertaining the idea of nibbling on her bottom lip myself, and licked my own lips, feeling immediately parched from the hot, little daydream playing in my head. Regretfully moving her adorably socked feet off my lap, I stood up, taking both of our empty drinks and carried them to the kitchen, saying over my shoulder, "I'll go get your bed set up, Love." Michaela followed in behind me, a questionable look on her face. "Oh.. You're not sleeping in there too?" She asked, appearing crestfallen.

Her sweet face twisted my heart, and oddly enough, her disappointment gave me a hopeful feeling. I truly enjoyed knowing how much she wanted to be around me.. "I just figured you'd be more comfortable, having a room to yourself. And I refuse to put anyone in the guest room until I get it re-insulated. It's much too cold in there." I chuckled. "I was just going to turn on the fireplace for you and put an extra blanket on the bed, then go take the couch for the night."

The beautiful girl in front of me pursed her lips, trying to hide a smile. "Sir, it's sweet of you trying to be chivalrous, and while that couch is comfortable to sit on, it is definitely not made for sleeping. You're also way too tall to fit comfortably on it. I think you'd feel better in your own bed. I can take the couch myself. I wouldn't mind it one bit, but I promise you I'm okay with sleeping in the same bed as you. It was.. comforting, having you close by last night. I trust you. This isn't weird for me. I don't want you to be worried about that." Michaela reassured me, sounding very mature about the situation. Though it didn't stop me from feeling like a dirty, old man about it, which I stated in a less.. crude way.

"Michaela, last night was different. You were stressed out and scared, understandably needing comfort. Now you're okay. It would be.. wrong of me, to insert myself anymore in your personal space than I already have. I'm a grown man, and I'm supposed to keep you safe. Anyone else looking in would find this friendly relationship between us inappropriate. Especially if we shared a bed." I sighed, feeling my neck turn red from bringing this up, pointing out the thought I'd been dancing around in my head.

Michaela laughed then, a gorgeous, unrestrained laugh that I wanted to hear over and over. "Professor, we're in the Romanian wilderness and it's freezing out there. Even with a fire it's going to be a bit chilly inside. And we're exhausted. It's just us resting in a large, cozy bed.. You don't have a malevolent bone in your body. I know I'm safe with you." She stated, so sure of herself, not realizing how I'd been fantasizing about her in my bed since the day we met.

"Oh, baby girl, you are way too trusting." I said in a low voice, pinching the bridge of my nose and shaking my head as I walked towards my bedroom. She followed again, turning out the kitchen light as she trailed behind me. "What in the world is that supposed to mean?" Michaela asked, not harshly, just cautiously unsure. I turned on the bedroom light, whipping out my wand to ignite the small fireplace, then grabbed an extra thick blanket, turning down the bed without looking at her. "I said what I said. You are way too trusting. It's endearing, but also dangerous." I sighed, not wanting to offend her but failing miserably. When I heard a small huff behind me, I knew I was right. I turned around when I was done and sat down on the bed, examining the sweet, yet annoyed little nymph standing in my doorway.

She had her arms crossed over her chest, pouting, staring down my hardwood floors as if they had wronged her. It was the cutest thing I had ever seen in my life. I shook my head again, placing my face in the palms of my hands as I rested my elbows on my knees, trying to think of a way to explain what I was needing to say to her without damaging her feelings further.

"Michaela.. while last night was not your fault whatsoever, I need you to understand something.." She glanced up at me, a fierce look crossing her face as she waited for me to continue. I bit my lip, almost drawing blood from the frustration, and raked my hand through my hair as I kept my eyes trained on her. "You are a stunning young woman." I stated heatedly, my voice darkening some as I looked her up and down quickly. Even with the ill-fitted clothes hiding what I knew was underneath, you could still tell how perfect her form was by just glancing at the girl. I heard her lightly gasp, that delicious sound going straight to my groin, and I wanted to pull her down on my bed just then, to show her what I meant instead of having to use words. "You are absolutely.. breathtakingly.. gorgeous. And I say this with all the honesty that is owed to you, if I were any other man in this situation who lacked all restraint, you would not be safe with me."

Michaela brought a hand to her mouth, cheeks becoming a dark red from my scandalous words, her eyes now unable to meet mine. But I continued.   
"Love, you need to know that the world is not always safe, especially for kind, sinless angels like yourself. Any man would take one look at a girl like you and want to take your innocence for himself. Even in situations where you're supposed to trust me, and feel one hundred percent safe in my presence, you should always be cautious around men. No matter the age, no matter the position they're in. Do you understand?.." I asked, begging, pleading with my eyes as she looked into mine once more. The idea of another man trying to take anything from her without me being there to protect her stirred a dangerous fire inside of me.

"Yes, Professor.. of course." She nodded the extra assurance for my benefit, but I could tell she had more on her mind. "But.. what if I knew, without a doubt, that you were good? What if I had a way of knowing how you would never harm me, Charlie?"   
The question threw me. I wasn't expecting to hear it, and especially not prepared to hear her pretty voice speaking my name again so soon. "W-what do you mean?.." I barely got the words out, surprised to be the one to stutter now as I waited for an explanation.

Michaela walked over slowly, somewhat timidly, before coming to sit on the bed next to me. She pulled her knees up to her chin, wrapping her arms around her legs while considering carefully what to say next. "I had a dream about you." She whispered, hesitantly turning her emerald green eyes up to me. "I know this is going to sound crazy.. But in a world full of magic, I try not to ask too many questions about the universe when certain dreams are sent my way." She licked her lips, and fiddled with her ring for a moment before moving to lower her legs, carefully crossing them and then took my right hand into her own. She examined a scar on it before continuing, and I hoped she couldn't feel my hand tremble before I could steady it.

"I've talked to McGonagall about this before, and she said there's been rare times when this particular gift has occurred in some witches over the years. It's different for each person, but it's always some type of prediction or vision. The dreams started when I was young. I wouldn't technically call myself a psychic, but.. I do have these dreams. It's always about someone I haven't met yet, and while they're not always the same, it's usually a person who is going to be a prominent figure in my life. The first time it happened was when I met my childhood best friend.. three weeks before I started kindergarten."

I stared at her, feeling confused but wanting her to carry on. Michaela gave my hand a small squeeze, focusing on the scar, caressing it softly with her thumb. "I remember dreaming of a blonde girl with braided pigtails. She had a beautiful mix of pink and yellow light swirling around her face. She smiled at me and held out her hand. I remember taking it and feeling comforted, like I had found someone who understood me completely. I think I forgot about her by the time I woke up the next morning, but then, three weeks later on the first day of school, there she was, sitting at the same table as me. She held out her hand and introduced herself as Katherine, then asked me to call her Kat for short. She gave me a cookie from the container that her mom had brought for her to share, and she's been my best friend since then. Besides my family, she's one of the few people I call regularly and try to visit the most when I go home." Michaela blushed from the long story, but I was intrigued, wondering how I was tied into this.

"How many times has this happened before?" I asked, placing my other hand over hers, wanting to encourage her to share more with me. "I can't remember how many. Sometimes they're not in my life for long. The next face I dreamt of was an old man in his 70's. I think I was about 9 years old at the time. He had a nice blue light around him, and I felt sad all of a sudden. I think I was crying in my dream, and he placed his hand on my shoulder and said, 'Don't be sad. Everything is going to be okay.' Again, I had never seen this man before in my life.. But two days later, I was playing outside at my Nana's house, and the ball I was playing with had bounced into the street. I was normally cautious, even as a child, but my Nana didn't live in a busy neighborhood, so I ran out into the middle of the road. I looked up to see that same man from my dream just a moment before he pushed me out of the way of a car right before it hit him instead. I was crying and holding his hand while waiting for an ambulance. He said the same thing to me that he had said in my dream, but added something else.. 'I dreamed about you too. I saw you grow up to be happy, and live a full, beautiful life. Please don't be sad, dear. The universe has its reasons. Trust in that.' Then the ambulance came and took him away. He passed away from his injuries on the way to the hospital. It took me months to feel normal again.. I was so depressed. But I saw him again in a dream one night, and he was glowing. Standing next to a woman that was smiling up at him.. He didn't say anything, just smiled at me, and they walked away, arm in arm, into bright sunlight. I woke up feeling more at peace than I had in ages." Michaela said, a somber expression on her face, and I watched as a single tear escaped and fell down her cheek onto our gently clasped hands.

She took a breath, and wiped away another tear before it could fall. "I know how insane this must sound to you.. But I promise that I couldn't make this stuff up. I trust my dreams. I've never once dreamt of a person that has caused me harm. Only of the people that have brought love into my life or made me feel safe. I haven't dreamed of anything so serious since that man who saved my life as a kid, but each dream has had a significant meaning to me, no matter how big or small it's been. I dreamed of the teacher that inspired me to make art, the boy that gave me my first kiss, I even dreamed of making friends with Hallie. All of this happening before I had even met any of them. Then.. A little over a month ago.. I dreamed of you."

I witnessed her smile to herself then, fondly remembering the dream before she began to recount it to me. I realized I was holding my breath, and I swallowed deeply, feeling nervous about what this lovely girl might have predicted. "This dream.. it was different than all the others. More vivid. The ones before felt like a small fog was in my head, not always clear. This one.. it was as if I had a movie playing in high definition. I walked out into the sunshine, in a clearing in the woods. It had flowers growing all around, and you stood there, right in the middle, looking up at the sky, admiring something above you. Then you glanced over at me, seeing me for the first time, and you had the biggest smile on your face. I realized you had an iridescent glow all around you, slowly changing between colors the longer I stared. All you said to me was, 'Aren't they beautiful?' As you held out your hand for me to take, and when I touched you, I felt so many strong.. amazing feelings, all at once. I woke up crying. I wasn't sure why I was crying because the dream didn't make me sad. It made me feel a type of hope I had never experienced before. I think I cried because I wasn't ready to wake up just yet. I had no idea when I would meet you and when a month had gone by I felt as if you didn't actually exist. And then a few days later you stroll up into Care of Magical Creatures and I felt it all rush back to me. Your dream has felt as if it was the most important one of all. I'm not sure why, but it is. And I have felt more safe and comfortable with you than with anyone else I've ever met.. I don't want to scare you away, but.. I needed you to know. I trust you more than anything, Charlie. Please understand that."

I was at a loss for words after that confession. I felt nervous, honored, enamored and excited all at once. I wanted to kiss her, and never stop.. This precious angel had dreamt of me long before I had known her, and she was happy about it. Michaela trusted me and wanted me around her and I was ready to jump over the moon just to express my gratitude. I nodded, still unsure of what to say, so instead I brought her right hand up to my face, giving it a sweet, small kiss, lingering for a moment before I released it. "I understand, Love.. thank you for letting me in." Hoping Michaela could feel my sincerity, I smiled down at her, and she pushed a strand of her curly, fiery hair behind her ear, then started to speak, but a cute little yawn escaped instead, interrupting whatever thought she was about to say.

"Okay, it is certainly past our bed time by now." I laughed, then motioned for her to lay down on the far side of the bed. "So are you going to.." she trailed off as she saw me turn off the light, and I laid down on the other side of the mattress before turning to face her, my heart beating fast. "Ah, so you changed your mind," Michaela stated, smirking up at me as the low fire light lit up her face, just enough for me to see the shyness hidden beneath that brave smile. "Yeah, well, a sweet, little redhead convinced me.." I joked, pulling the other blanket up over us. We might not actually need it because the tiny fire place was working wonders, warming us up far beyond the need of the extra cover. So what Michaela did next shouldn't have shocked me, yet somehow, it still did..

She sat up and began to unbutton the baggy sweater I had lent her, and I tried not to stare, attempting instead to gaze into the fireplace, or anything that wasn't Michaela's gorgeous body.. but my urges won out and I peeked at her movements from the corner of my eye. I guess the fire had gotten too warm for her with the extra layer on, and she sighed happily once she was able to slip it off her bare shoulders. She carefully folded it, setting it on the bedside table next to her, and I was able to get an eye full of the expanse of gorgeous skin now available for me to marvel at. I could still see the beautiful freckles that peppered her shoulders, flowing further down her bare arms, and as I dared to look lower where her shirt left much uncovered, I discovered a little birthmark on the back of her left hip.

I had the urge to touch it, but refrained, and closed my eyes before she could turn around and catch me looking at her. I craved to see more, especially those gorgeous breasts that had kept me up during most nights.. Yet, I was worried about the possibility of trying to kiss her too soon, of failing her with the trust she so easily placed in me from a dream she had before we met. I wanted to live up to the idea Michaela had of me in her mind, but every little piece of me was wearing thin the longer I laid next to her, unable to take her into my arms and give her all of the passion I had buried inside me..

"Charlie?.. Did you fall asleep?" She whispered softly, and my cock awoke to the sound of her voice, desperately wanting Michaela again. As I was reopening my eyes to respond, I felt her small hand move to brush some hair that had fallen over my face, and tucked it gently behind my ear as our eyes met. "Oh, I'm sorry. I j-just thought y-you'd, umm.. I didn't think you would mind me fixing your hair. I just guessed that you had already fallen asleep." Her stutter came and went as the quick burst of nerves subsided, and I wanted more than anything to hug her just now.

"No, I just rested my eyes for a moment. It's okay, sweetheart." I told her, smiling some to make her feel comfortable. She laid down slowly, and I watched, realizing that this time I wasn't carrying her to bed, with her feeling tired and grabbing onto my wrist, asking me to stay. We were both willingly getting into bed with one another. Michaela was facing me, laying on her side with one arm under her pillow, allowing the movement to immediately bring my attention to her delicious looking, nubile breasts. Anyone daring to look could see the mouthwatering shape of Michaela's sweet, little handfuls through the thin fabric, showcasing her tiny nipples perfectly. I wanted to devour her body and make her mine in every way I could. The dangers of just laying next to her were becoming more evident as time went on..

Gently clearing my throat to talk, mainly because I didn't trust my voice not to sound strained from my need to feel Michaela against me, I tried to be a courteous host instead to take my mind off of any intense feelings I was having for the girl. "Are you comfy, Love? Need an extra pillow or a glass of water before you sleep?.." I offered, knowing she needed to rest just as much as I did, but still wanted to keep talking to her and taking care of anything she asked of me.

"I'm fine, Sir, I promise. You've taken good care of me tonight, and your bed is honestly so cozy that you might have to drag me out of here to even take me back to school." She giggled adorably as she cuddled deeper into the pillow, smiling gratefully.   
"You're precious, you know that?" I laughed with Michaela, but she paused, staring at me with one of her curious looks and half smiles. "What's on your mind?" I asked, somewhat longingly as my quiet question surprised her. Michaela blushed, but answered. "Do you think it will be weird between us when we go back to Hogwarts? I feel as if I've gained a friend, but.. I'm unsure what's appropriate.. Unsure of how to act around you when other people are involved."

"Oh. Well, I guess we just act normal as far as I'm concerned.." I pondered her question in my mind for another moment. "You can talk to me whenever you'd like, Love. And if you're too shy to talk in front of other people, that's fine too. You're allowed to do whatever makes you comfortable. Just know you have a friend in me if you need it, okay?.. Don't worry about this past weekend making things feel weird between us. I'm here to take care of your needs and make your life at school better so you can transition into adulthood easily, so you're prepared to take on the world. Just because we found out that some sort of fate has us linked doesn't mean my job stops. All you need to worry about is focusing on school and.. enjoy being a teenager for a little bit longer. Okay?" I had sat up to talk to her, my need to use light hand gestures to get my point across making it difficult for me to stay relaxed in the position I was previously in. I placed a hand on her bare shoulder, hoping that she felt secured..

Michaela blushed, but placed her left hand over my own, holding it in place against her skin, the touch causing my entire body to tingle.. "Thank you.." she whispered. "I know this entire situation is odd. I'm stuck between wondering how people will perceive us if we talk regularly from now on, and not wanting to lose this sudden.. friendship that I've found in you. I feel like I could tell you anything, but at the same time it feels as if I'm not allowed. Of course it's the student/teacher relationship that's normally frowned upon.. and the age difference. But these conversations with you have felt like the realest I've ever had, and I don't want to go back to being silent. I feel like my voice is finally being heard when we're together. I don't know how to fully thank you for giving me that."

It was my turn to blush.. I didn't know what to say. But I didn't have time to even think about it much longer, because Michaela sat up quickly, wrapped her arms around my shoulders then, hugging her little body tightly against me, and buried her face into my neck. All of my morals left me as instinct took over, and I wrapped my arms tightly around her, one hand nestled in her beautiful curls at the base of her neck, the other firmly gripping the sensual curve of her hip. I couldn't breathe for a few moments, the surprise of the embrace short-circuiting any rational thoughts to my brain. We just held one another, listening to the others breathing as we took whatever we needed from this show of affection.

But no matter how sweet and innocent the gesture seemed, my body still reacted to the little nymph, making my cock ache for her as she hugged me in my bed, next to a warm fire in the privacy of my home, ticking all the little boxes of one of the many fantasies I'd had since I'd met this angel. I felt so dirty, having these thoughts as Michaela sought me out for comfort and guidance. Yet.. her sexy figure pressed tightly against the hardness of my entire body pulled at any last shreds of decency I was begging to hold onto. I swallowed deeply, attempting to regain my composure, and failed miserably. The hand in her hair slid down towards her other hip, and I immediately enjoyed the feel of holding her there against me. I gave the handfuls a longing squeeze, and I could have sworn that I felt her tremble against me for just the shortest of seconds.

"Uhm.." Michaela let out a breath of air, and I could feel the uncertainty in the way her muscles flexed against my own as she figured out what to say. Her arms still around my shoulders, lips almost ghosting my neck, she finally spoke. "I just felt the urge to hug you.. I'm sorry if I startled you, but... just.. thank you for being here. I appreciate you so much, Charlie."   
Michaela squeezed again, and I realized that she didn't want to let go either. I wish I could say that she could stay like this.. that I would hold her all night and do whatever she asked of me. But I knew this was well past crossing a line. If I were anywhere else, a dozen other professors would have my head if they knew the thoughts and urges bursting from me whenever Michaela was near.

She finally leaned back, and I stupidly placed a kiss on her forehead without thinking, lingering there a moment too long for it to be seen as innocent. I was wearing my longing for Michaela on my sleeve, and the look on my face most likely verified it.   
My sweet little Hufflepuff looked up into my eyes, the heated emeralds blazing with an expression I'd only been dreaming of. She slowly licked her pouty lips, and I took notice of her pale cheeks flushing pink. My restraint broke and I glanced down at her chest, seeing the tiny peaks of her breasts straining against the thin top. It was warm in here, and I immediately knew that Michaela had felt the same attraction I had been experiencing each time she was in my presence.

I had to get ahold of myself before I ended up pouncing on the poor, unsuspecting girl and taking what I wanted.. And while I normally felt the need to take her nice and slow in my fantasies as I lay awake in bed at night, dreaming of helping Michaela explore her body for the first time, what I desired right now was anything but slow and sweet. I wanted to tear that sexy, flimsy excuse of a shirt off her chest, teasing and sucking her pretty nipples until she screamed or came, or both. I needed to have her bouncing on my cock while we faced a mirror so she could see my thickness plunging inside her roughly while still giving her clit the attention it deserved.. and I craved to have Michaela riding my face, using my tongue to get off to until she was satisfied and dripping her essence down my chin.

Oh yes.. this tempting young woman would be amazing as she discovered her newfound sexuality. And I could only hope that she would allow me to be a part of it. "You.. You can hug me whenever you want, Love. I'm okay with it. You'll never hear a complaint out of me being on the receiving end of your kindness, that's for sure." I smirked, running a hand through my hair to ease my nerves.

That elicited a giggle from Michaela as she shyly hid the curve of her smile behind her hand. The sound of her laughter and the way she smiled up at me, always somewhat timid, yet curious, made my body tingle in the most delightful way. It felt as if the yearning for her would never cease..   
Michaela glanced over at the clock on my wall then, her eyes going wide at the time displayed. "Wow, it does not seem as if it should be that late. Where does the time go?" She playfully asked, not actually expecting me to answer. "I guess I should stop fighting sleep and finally lay down. I'm sorry if I've kept you up too late.." The innocent way her voice came off was lovely to hear, and I was considering trying to find ways to keep her awake even longer just so I could listen to it a bit more. But if we didn't get any actual sleep in soon, we'd be useless tomorrow.

"I've had fun with you, and the conversation was entertaining. It was worth it, I promise." I winked at her, hoping my smile and words didn't appear too intimate. As she was about to turn around to crawl back under the covers, I realized one of the straps to Michaela's top had slipped off her shoulder.  
I reached to fix it, feeling the smoothness of her skin beneath my fingertips again, and Michaela parted her lips as she gazed up at me. The expectant look on her face caught me off guard, with those jeweled eyes trying to convey something that still didn't quite understand what she was feeling yet. She placed her hand over the one still gently grazing her bare shoulder, which pleasantly surprised me, filling me with a warmth I undoubtedly craved.

"Oh, uh.. thank you. This shirt is always giving me a hard time." She laughed softly, holding my gaze for another moment, then gave my hand a squeeze before laying down. Watching her lay out on my bed was.. an experience, to say the least. Michaela stretched her arms above her head as her curly locks touched the pillow, and the rest of her beautiful body moved with it. Her sweet, curvy ass pressed into the bed has she arched her back, which made that tight little shirt stretch across the sexy handfuls that I suddenly wanted to cover with my hands and mouth.

Michaela's stretch ended all too soon, and I was left with the feeling of wanting more, especially after hearing the little moan she gave when she was done. She smiled over at me, unaware of the hot, little show she'd just put on, then covered up with the blanket we were sharing. "Goodnight Charlie." She whispered, half yawning as the edges of sleep started to pull at her. "Sweet dreams, Michaela.." I smiled at her, and she began to close her eyes, slowly dozing off with a small smile on her own face. I watched her for a few minutes, admiring how at ease she appeared, and then rolled onto my back, choosing not to torture myself longer than necessary with everything I was feeling. I stared up at the ceiling as the fire slowly burned down to embers, and started to finally fall asleep. And right as I felt rest finally taking me, I also felt a small, warm body snuggle up to my side, wrapping an arm around my stomach and laying their head on my chest. I didn't even have to look down to see that it was Michaela seeking comfort in her sleep again. I smiled, my eyes still closed, and finally allowed myself to drift off and dream of dancing with the gorgeous redhead around my living room.

•••

Waking up the next morning was a.. rather difficult experience. I could feel the coldness on my ears and nose from where the fire had died down during the night, but everywhere else felt deliciously warm and comfortable. It took me a few minutes to open my eyes and register everything around me, so when it finally hit my mind about the state my body was in, I thought my heart would stop.

Michaela's backside was pressed perfectly against my own body, and in my sleep I had welcomed her in an embrace that would make two well-known lovers blush. Her hair was laying across her shoulder, leaving her neck bare and free to allow my mouth unfiltered access to the gorgeous expanse of skin showing there. My lips had been dangerously close to kissing her in the sweet spot where her neck curved to meet her shoulder. This obviously should have been the top concern for my actions as I slept, but no. I, of course, had to out-do myself by holding onto the luscious curve of her hip, which allowed me to pull her even closer into my arms.

Michaela's body melded flawlessly into my own, so much so that even in my rested state, my senses betrayed me. The smell of Michaela's hair, mixed with her soft skin, and the beautiful, round ass pressing against me had caused the largest, most intense erection that I've ever encountered to appear. My need for Michaela could not be hidden now, because it had nestled itself as far as our clothing would allow, right against the crevice of the sweet ass already pressing into me. If she was awake at all, there would be no doubt in Michaela's mind about my attraction to her.

I tried to remove myself from this exquisite embrace, but she just moaned in her sleep, cuddling closer, and moved her tight, little ass back against me, trying to make herself comfortable. A deep, low groan slipped from my lips because the friction felt incredible on my hard cock, which also made me cringe because I was immediately terrified of waking Michaela up and having her see.. and feel the way her body woke up these naughty desires from inside of me.

She moved again, just enough to drive me crazy, and I ended up gripping her hip a little tighter, trying to control my thoughts. In doing so, I elicited a response out of my sweet Hufflepuff, one in which I was not expecting. I felt her move against me once more, moaning softly, and then Michaela whispered my name, causing me to freeze in place. "Charlie.." she moaned again, grinding her ass perfectly over my hardness, unaware of the effect she was having on me. "Mmm.. please, Professor?"

My eyes widened at this new set of words, and my cock pulsed with need for her. Was she.. dreaming about me? The innocent, little nymph next to me moved her hips, then gripped and released the blanket she had in her hands, and I raised my eyebrow, wondering if she was actually turned on, having a heated dream involving the both of us. Unsure of how to proceed, I stroked her hip, waiting to see if she would say anything else. The desire to kiss her neck hit me hard again, and I ignored all of the warnings going off in my head. I pressed my lips to Michaela's skin ever so gently, lingering much longer than I should have, placing little kisses from her neck, and down to her shoulder. It apparently felt good to her, because Michaela sighed and moaned again, whispering my name once more.

I felt like a cad for kissing her while she rested. Though it felt intimate and far more innocent compared to what I wished I could be doing at the moment, it was still inappropriate and un-gentlemanly of me to do so. But God, did it it feel good.. While it did nothing to ease the tension in my pants, it sure as hell made my lips tingle and caused my heartbeat to quicken in an exciting way.

Deciding to stop before she awoke, I gave up on my plans to get out of bed, laid my head back down on my pillow, moved back an inch or two so my hard length could be readjusted and put away as not to scare her, then I closed my eyes, resting them for a few moments. It helped ease the hot tension I was feeling.. not completely, but enough to where it was manageable. And I had stopped just in time, because my sweet girl had finally started to awaken. I heard her yawn, but I still pretended to be fast asleep.

Feeling her move beside me, she rolled on her back slowly, and was quiet for a moment.. then I heard a small giggle, and it took everything in me not to crack a smile. My hand carefully moved with Michaela's body as she turned, and ended up going from resting on her hip to my arm being placed across her waist, with my hand now grazing the bare skin of her back. She was facing me now, forcing me to try to stay still and keep my breathing even. I wasn't sure how it would be once we both got up and went on with our day, and I must say.. I felt a little nervous out of nowhere from thinking about it.

All of a sudden, I felt the softness of her fingertips on my face, brushing a few strands of hair behind my ear, which immediately caused my thought process to halt. I wanted to so badly see the look on Michaela's face as she watched me. Was it loving? Curious? Shy?.. Maybe indifferent... But I craved to see her shining eyes all the same. I was enjoying the feel of her hands on my skin so much though, that I would stay in this position for hours if it meant that she would too.

Then, ever so slowly, I heard her take a small breath, and felt her thumb slowly trace the bottom of my lip, and a fire inside me surged to life. It was the most intimate she'd ever touched me before, of her own volition, and I felt alive all of a sudden, wanting to show her how much I loved the feeling. But I knew that would startle her.. I needed to see what would happen next, so I waited. Michaela's thumb went back again to boldly trace my bottom lip, but this time grazing the top as well, making it tingle, and then she went on to stroke my cheek with her hand, cupping it gently and feeling the scruff from me being unshaven for two days beneath her fingertips.

That same hand became bolder, venturing south slowly to feel the muscles in my arm that was holding her. I wasn't even flexing, but I heard her small intake of breath at the hardness she felt beneath her touch. If only she knew the true hardness I had for her further down, begging to be sought out by the same light touch.. Every little curious caress made me ache for Michaela, and I was dying for her to know that. But I was also wanting to know what was going on in her head, and wondered what prompted this brave tour of my body as well.

What surprised me even more was how Michaela went from feeling my arm, to running a hand down my chest, slowly admiring the muscles, all the way down my abs, before coming to rest on my hip where my shirt had ridden up a little as well. She stroked my skin there for a moment, before inching her fingers across my bare stomach, feeling the trail of hair that ran down beneath pants, out of sight. Michaela then gasped quietly, carefully but quickly removing her hand as if she had touched fire, making me realize then that she had probably never touched a real man before in her young life.

She was still, and very quiet for a little while, making me wonder if she had fallen back to sleep, but I was proven wrong when she decided to place a hand on my face once more. "You're so.. handsome. And kind. So very sweet... How are you real?" She whispered to herself, unaware of all that I could hear. My heart melted from the words, and made me want to pull her in and kiss her until she said them to me again, then thank her by doing it over and over.

I felt Michaela embrace me for a small moment, with her soft, bra less breasts pressed up against me as she placed a chaste kiss to my cheek, but she then gasped suddenly, trying to stay quiet but unable to completely, because when she hugged me, she felt the hardness I'd been trying to hide press up against her thigh. "Oh my god.." she whispered, clearly shocked. I was terrified to move, so I stayed very still, the pretending of being asleep currently my only saving grace.

I assumed she lifted the blanket to confirm what she had felt, because I felt a small draft, heard another gasp, and was quickly covered again in less than ten seconds. I'm sure there was nothing to prepare her for seeing a fully hard, nine inch cock that was probably thicker than her own wrist, be barely covered by only a thin pair of pajama pants. What almost made me laugh was how she looked again, and I heard a quick, "Jesus fucking Christ, he's.. huge," muttered under Michaela's breath, still sounding unbelieving in what she had just witnessed. I was surprised she didn't realize I was awake, because my face felt like it was on fire by that point. I wanted to hug her close, kiss her deeply, and laugh loudly from what had just happened, but if I 'woke up' now, both of us would probably die from embarrassment. I gotta say, though.. my confidence was soaring at that moment.

I could feel her move again beside me, her fingers lightly tracing up and down the arm that held her, then she gently removed it from her body, placing it against my chest as she got up from the bed. I risked a peek up at her, realizing it was probably eight in the morning by the way the little bit of light shown through the curtain. I saw Michaela stretch for a moment, then she ran her hands through the long, loose curls that ran down her back, breathing a sigh that sounded both content and worried. I closed my eyes before she could turn around, and I think she stared at me for a second before walking into the bathroom and shutting the door. I released a breath that I had been holding, and opened my eyes, wondering how long I had before she came out again..

I guess I had fallen asleep, because by the time I awoke, my bathroom door was open and the scent of fresh coffee and bacon was in the air. My stomach growled, so I forced myself out of bed, cleaned myself up a bit, changed into relaxing jeans and a dark green t-shirt, and made my way in search of the delicious smell and my delightful student. The sight of Michaela moving around my kitchen early in the morning struck something in me that caused me to smile and feel at ease immediately. She belonged here with me.. and it felt like the truest statement I'd ever thought.

I stood in the doorway a moment, watching her cook. The bacon was done, and she was flipping a perfect looking piece of French toast over in a pan. She was singing softly to herself, another pretty tune, more cheerful sounding this morning, but unheard of in my memory. She only paused to take a sip of coffee, and picked the sweet song right back up where she left off. As I admired her, I realized that her bag from school must have been delivered, because she wore new clothes much more feminine and.. form fitting, than what I had loaned her last night. It may have been cold outside, but inside my home, with the fireplace lit, it was perfectly warm to the point where Michaela didn't need to wear much clothes in the first place.

She had on a cute, red strappy top that clung to her breasts like a second skin. It rode up some, showing off those gorgeous hips just enough to tempt me.. But what had my jaw hitting the floor was the skirt. So tiny, if she bent over at all it would probably kill me, immediately sending my soul to the heavens. It was black and plaid, gifting me with delicious school girl vibes once again. What ending up sending me to paradise was the thigh high socks, giving me just enough skin to gaze upon while I wondered about the hidden treasure leading up under her skirt. It was downright sexy. How that precious, innocent face ended up on a body that could make a man sell his soul just for one glance, I will never know..

Trying to pull my eyes away from the body that the gods had blessed Michaela with, I instead aimed my focus on her hair, which looked naturally beautiful as always. The long, curly tresses hung down her back, with the top half pulled back loosely into a messy bun with a few stray strands framing her face. She had these tiny, diamond studs shining on her ears, that pretty, black ribbon adorning her neck, and the garnet ring that never left her finger. The only make up she wore was a little mascara, which she didn't need, but it still made her green eyes stand out even more. And I wasn't complaining about it in the slightest. Everything about her was wonderful. I loved when she dressed up, and adored her in my clothes and no make up. She could pull of anything while making me want to take off everything she had on in the process.

I finally decided to make my presence known without startling her, and said, "Good morning.. it smells amazing in here, Love." She smiled up at me, running her eyes quickly down my body. When she paused at my belt, her face heated up, and Michaela bit her lip at the memory from earlier this morning. I blushed too, even though she had no clue that I knew what she had seen.. and done. Michaela quickly recovered, and greeted me as well.   
"Thank you, and good morning to you too, Charlie." A small, knowing smile tugged at her mouth again, and I grinned to myself. "The food should be done soon, and I have fresh coffee on the counter for you. A letter from the Headmaster arrived with my clothes this morning. It was almost buried underneath a pile of snow. I had to do a spell to dry off my bag and the letter without ruining it." She giggled a little while flipping the last piece of toast over in the pan. "Also, unless you know a way to clear snow out with your wand.. it looks like we're stuck inside for the day, if we're unable to go back to school. And it's still coming down heavily outside. It looks beautiful, though.. it's like the snow at Hogwarts but more intense." Michaela joked, and I laughed with her.

"Thank you for taking care of that, Michaela. I had a feeling we'd be snowed in here. I'll see what the letter says, and we'll plan around that." I commented, patting her gently on the shoulder as a thank you while I went behind her to grab some coffee. Taking a sip, I moaned happily. "Merlin, this is the best coffee I've ever had. It tastes like it has cinnamon in it too."

"You are correct, Sir. And a little bit of hazelnut as well." She turned, beaming up at me from the compliment. "It was so sweet of you to get up early and make all of this." I went on, taking another swig before sitting my mug next to hers, and then opened the letter while leaning on the counter beside Michaela as she cooked.

McGonagall went on to say in the letter that it would be best if we stayed put for another day, and could probably return home by tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. I told her as much, along with explaining the bizarre reason of why the entire school had to be evacuated. "Apparently some of the younger kids played a very messy, stinky, and somewhat dangerous prank involving a bomb like quality of items purchased at the joke shop in the village. Somehow set it off in all the dorms in each house at once, including having one in the library, the great hall, and a few of the classrooms... Bloody hell, I bet Madam Pince is outraged." I chuckled at the thought, feeling only slightly guilty wondering about the state of her Library. "I feel a little selfish thinking this, but thankfully my classroom is the outdoors."

Michaela laughed very loudly at this statement, and I couldn't help but grin at the sound. "Yeah, you definitely lucked out there, Professor." She gently elbowed me, still giggling some, and turned off the stove, setting the last piece of toast on a plate. I helped carry both of the plates to the table while she grabbed our coffees, and then I pulled out the chair for her, which she accepted gratefully. We ate slowly, enjoying one another's company and the fact the we could be free with our time today, seeing how there were no plans or classes to get back to. I was officially snowed in at my home with Michaela, and would have her alone for another 24 hours at least. This was turning out to be the oddest, most wonderful week of my life so far..

"So.. what would you like to do today?" I asked expectantly, curious about what she might suggest. "Well.. I feel like the snow might be a bit too deep to play in. I was kinda hoping for a snowball fight." Michaela winked at me, smirking into her second mug of coffee. "That being said, I think it's also about half my height out there and would slow me down. Can't have a proper battle on dangerous ground." This made me smile. "But if you're up for it next weekend at school, I could totally kick your butt there."

"You wish. I'd definitely win. I'm a master snowball maker." I joked, half-serious. "It's a date, then. Don't forget to mark your calendar for your impending doom." Michaela grinned at me, unwavering even though my breath caught in my throat at her mentioning a date. "We could read all day.. I half think that would make you happy, but it's a day away from school and I think it would be a good idea for you to have a break from having your nose in a book, at least for a little while." I rubbed the back of my neck, considering our options. It would be easier if my siblings were here. George, Ron & Ginny were masters at coming up with fun activities out of thin air. I guess me working constantly since graduating Hogwarts has stunted my imagination in a few ways..

"Puzzles are fun.. especially on snow days. I also love watching movies. Too bad you don't have a tv; It helps time fly by in a fun way." She smiled, trying to think of something else the both of us could do. "Well... actually, I do have a tv. It's a little old, but should still work. It's in the closet of the guest room. I just never use it because I don't really have a lot of movies, or time for it really. I bought it on a trip while in the muggle part of London while my dad searched for a spare part for a project he was working on. Came with a VCR too. I've collected a few movies over the years but haven't watched all of them. Would you like to see what we have?" I offered, hoping this would please her. It did, and Michaela's green eyes lit up instantly.

"Absolutely! That sounds amazing. Especially after being at school half the year. Makes me really miss home and having access to cable on certain days, if I'm being honest. That's so cool that you're not one of the traditional wizards that are completely against technology and muggle items. Let's go check it out!" Michaela got up excitedly, and I was so happy to see her with this much enthusiasm. After dragging out the tv, and finding the small box of movies, I set it all up in the living room, placing it on the coffee table right in front of the sofa. Michaela helped me hook it all up, and we settled on an old movie that I had yet to see but she said was one of her favorites. It was a romance, but it had a few funny parts in it as well, she assured.

We settled down with a few small snacks and our drinks, and began to watch the movie. Michaela was immediately absorbed in the film, and while it was good, I really found myself watching her reactions to it rather than being fully attentive to the television myself. She sat close to me, and would sometimes explain a part of the movie, giving me a few facts, or excitedly squeeze my hand at a few of the good parts. The fire had died down a little, and I felt her shiver, so along with using my wand to light the fire again, I also grabbed a blanket for us to use over our shoulders, allowing her to cuddle in closer to me as we continued the movie.

Michaela brought her legs up onto the cushion, keeping them together, but sort of pressed onto my own like our shoulders were. I watched her little skirt rise up some, instantly having it turn me on.. it was high up on her thighs, giving me plenty to marvel at. They seemed so curvy and delicious with the high socks wrapped around them that it actually caused my mouth to water from just looking at her. I would do anything for the opportunity to lick up Michaela's legs and split open her sweet, little cunt with my tongue, if she asked me to..

When it got to a romantic scene, I instantly saw the change in my adorable Hufflepuff. Glancing at her out of the corner of my eye, I watched with great interest, seeing Michaela's lips part open, how she licked them slowly, and how her breathing paused. Her cheeks turned a gorgeous shade of pink, and before my very eyes, I witnessed the peaks of her breasts harden. She leaned in, moving those gorgeous legs closer, slightly overlapping my own, and I casually but boldly rested my arm over them, and began stroking her knee with my hand like it was an afterthought, continuing to watch the movie. I could feel her gaze on my face, but didn't look at her just yet, trying to pretend this was a natural occurrence. Then I felt Michaela rest her head on my shoulder, and I couldn't help but smile..

This careful display of intimacy from each of us was exciting and beautiful, even if neither of us knew how to proceed just yet. We sat there quietly, enjoying the film together, but it still had quite a bit of time left by the next time we moved. I paused it so I could refresh our drinks, and when I came back, Michaela had moved to the other end of the couch, where she had sat last night. "Would it be alright if I stretched out a little, Charlie?" I blushed, immediately hearing a dirty innuendo from her innocent question, but nodded my head yes and set her drink down next to her. I sat down in my normal spot but Michaela said, "You can sit closer if you like.. I don't mind just putting my legs over yours again. It was comfortable last night." She smiled a little, albeit shyly, right up at me and I definitely couldn't say no to that lovely face.. She laid down on the pillow and I sat down in the middle, a little bit closer, and picked up her legs, laying them gently on my lap to where the backs of her thighs were almost fully on mine.

It had warmed up a little with the fire now fully blazing in the hearth again, so we didn't require the blanket from earlier, which I was thankful for..   
she was fully engrossed in the movie now, being completely relaxed and watching the beginning of the climax. I had one arm across the back of the couch, and the other draped gently over Michaela's knees, softly stroking once again. Glancing down carefully, I admired her young body stretched out over my own.. her shirt had risen up over her belly button, and she rested her hand on her stomach while the other laid behind her head, causing her perky breasts to be more on display.

And the more she relaxed, the more she became careless with keeping her legs completely closed. I witnessed them part some, and the short skirt rode even higher, barely covering those gorgeous, creamy thighs. I felt my cock hardening from the sight, and worried about Michaela feeling me underneath her.. my hand began stroking a little higher, around mid-thigh, just right above where her socks ended, and I felt her sexy thighs part even further for me. My heartbeat sped up, and I risked another look down at her.. I was able to see underneath her skirt some now, glimpsing a piece of her that I didn't think I could see this soon. She wore a pair of these almost translucent, white laced panties that cupped her sex perfectly, and while I was expecting some pretty, auburn curls to be covering her sweet, young pussy, I could see none from this angle whatsoever. That sexy, little cunt was completely bare and utterly beautiful.

I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to regain some sense and compose myself, because I didn't trust my own mind to not do something stupid. All I could think about was trailing my hands up her thighs and touching the lace between them, pulling it aside and toying with the hot, little pearl I knew she had hidden beneath. I could imagine how soft and slick her sex would be, and how tight I knew Michaela would feel when I would attempt to finger fuck her innocent hole. When I opened my eyes again, I looked over at her face, and she had her gaze settled on me. I couldn't help but lick my lips as I stared back, and I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the need to either cool down or dive head first into a fire I would never be able to put out. She squirmed under my gaze, those sweet thighs pressing together, making me worried I had made her uncomfortable..

But she just smiled politely, a blush forming on her cheeks, and broke the eye contact, focusing on the movie again. Michaela's thighs relaxed, and I saw the smallest peek underneath her skirt once more. I squeezed her thigh gently, rubbing my thumb across her skin, and heard her moan softly from my touch..  
That little moan almost broke my control, it sounded that good to my ears, but I would be damned if I would attempt to make an official move on Michaela without her clearly expressing interest in me first. I enjoyed the game though, and was willing to wait.. She was worth it.

We stayed liked that until the movie ended, and I was happier for having watched it. I know I was somewhat preoccupied with the angel who was practically in my lap, but I still liked what I saw. She was talking about the dance that the two leads had performed at the end, a waltz. "I love how they moved so easily around the dance floor, it looked effortless." Michaela said dreamily, and laughed as she stood, spinning around as if she had a partner holding her, imitating the last performance. She giggled as she slowed, and I chuckled too, loving what I was seeing. Michaela being carefree and relaxed was something I realized I needed to see all the time.. "I wish I knew how to actually do a Waltz. It's gorgeous, but the steps seem very specific.." She commented, looking at the screen where we had paused the film on the embrace that the lovers held.

"Oh, I know how to do that. I could teach you.." I blurted out suddenly. I cringed, seeing her eyes go wide at the offer. "You, Charlie Weasley, know how to Waltz?" Michaela asked, smiling as she looked me up and down. "Dragonologist extraordinaire, Quidditch Master, a big, strong man covered in tattoos, YOU know how to WALTZ?" She emphasized, sounding delightfully shocked. Her words were not unkind, but full of wonder. "Yes, love, I know how to Waltz. How is that so hard to believe?" I laughed, holding her gaze with my own, making her pretty cheeks redden.

"Honestly? You seem so busy, I don't see how you've had the time." She pondered, playing with her hair while smiling at me, waiting for an explanation. "Well, we had a few dances when I was in school. McGonagall actually taught us all how to Waltz. It was very.. entertaining. But since she's become Headmaster, I could see her not having time to teach you all before a dance now. It's come in handy though. I was prepared for my brother Bill's wedding, and we also hold a few charity functions for the Reserve in a ballroom in London every other year. We have one coming up in the fall that you'll have to attended since you'll be starting work here this summer. It's mandatory. We kind of have to talk and woo some donors. Nothing too much, everyone is always kind and ends up donating a decent amount, but the Reservation relies on these charity functions to keep everything running in top shape. That's another reason why we're the number one Reserve in the Wizarding World. The support we have is amazing."

Michaela looked shocked, and considerably more pale than normal. "I... oh. W-wow. That's a new piece of information I probably should have asked about. I had no idea. I really have to talk to people?.. And dance in front of them? For donations?" She took a breath, slumping down onto the couch. "Oh dear god, I'm doomed." I didn't mean to snort just then, but she looked so forlorn over such a simple thing I couldn't help it. I was full on laughing now.   
"Sir? Are you seriously laughing at my anxiety? That's not nice." She pouted, making me want to kiss her wrinkled brow and relax her worries.

"I'm sorry, Sweetheart. I didn't mean to freak you out. I promise it's not as daunting a task as it sounds. Everyone is quite polite, and once they're all tipsy on champagne or whisky, it's quite easy to convince them to pull out their checkbooks. And you're not required to do the schmoozing if it makes you uncomfortable. You just have to dress up and show your support of your work. Talk about your experiences while you mingle, what you enjoy about the job. How fulfilling it is to work with these marvelous creatures, and what made you want to study dragons and protect them in the first place. It'll come naturally, I promise." I sat down, taking hold of her trembling hand and gave it a loving squeeze. "I won't leave your side that night if you're still too nervous about it, if that makes you feel any better. That way I can help the conversation along. But it's really only one night every two years. It'll come to be an exciting night off from work that you'll look forward to."

Michaela gave me a weak smile, but still kept a worried look about her. "I've never been to a ball before. I don't know how to dance like that. It sounds like something out of one of those beautiful period dramas that you watch on tv.."   
"The dancing is only a small part of the night, and easy to learn. And the Waltz isn't the only dance that's done. There's normal slow dancing, and if everyone is drunk enough, that 80's dance even happens by the end of the night. The.. Electric Slide, I think?" This made her giggle, and I was happy to see her feel calm again. "There's that sweet smile." I complimented, caressing her cheek for a moment before standing up.

Turning around, I held out my hand to her. "Allow me the honor of teaching you to Waltz, Michaela?" I asked, feeling like a debonair rogue from a romance novel, especially when Michaela blushed and nodded, taking my hand. I took out my wand, and with one small flick, the furniture in the room moved to make room, and a more modern waltz was playing on the little radio. Michaela grinned up at me, impressed. I began to show her the steps, and the longer we practiced, the more I felt the tension drain from her body. "You're a natural.. Sure you haven't done this before?" I asked, feeling like I was floating with her in my arms as we moved easily around the room now. "Positive. You're just.. really good at teaching. I guess the confidence of instructing goes past the classroom." She winked at me, and I laughed, feeling enamored by her.

The song changed, to something slower and a bit more romantic. I took her closer into my arms, changing the pace to that of a normal slow dance. "Charlie?.." she asked, looking nervous but curious about being closer to me in this way. "You deserve a break, and this song is beautiful. Have you heard it before?" I asked. "It sounds like a string quartet version of this American pop song that I love."   
"I think you're right. This Wizarding artist likes to do remakes of certain songs. It's very popular on this station." Michaela smiled from this information, and leaned in closer, wrapping her arms around my neck, allowing me to rest my hands lower on her hips as I moved her around the room.

"Could I ask you something, Sir?.." She blushed, another question looming on the tip of her tongue. "Call me Charlie, Love. And of course. You can ask me anything you'd like.." My voice darkened a little, worried I might become hard from hearing her call me 'Sir' again. It made me feel weak from the sweet sound of her voice, while also filling me with the overpowering need to be dominant, and a desire to carry her back to my bedroom..

"Do you have.. Anyone special in your life?" Michaela worded her question carefully, trying not to make assumptions about my personal life, I assumed, which was precious. Nevertheless, it still threw me off guard, and I stumbled for the right words. "I-I mean, I only ask, because I feel as if any person would be beating down your door for a date with you." She cringed at this, not meaning to say it in this manner. I smirked, pausing to let her continue. She breathed a deep sigh, and smiled down at our feet for a moment before going on. "You're kind, witty... Handsome. Good at dancing, obviously.. You also like to come to the aid of damsels in distress, it seems, if our past few nights together have been any indication.." Michaela joked lightheartedly at her own expense. "I'm just curious, along with a few other students wondering the same thing. You just seem like a man who wouldn't be single is all.. does that make sense?" She giggled uncomfortably. "You know there's guys and girls that are head over heels for you at school? I've even overheard a few of the younger professors gossiping about you, in a favorable manner. I understand if you don't feel comfortable talking about it though.. I'm sorry if I'm being rude for asking, Charlie. I just.. wanted to know you better, is all."

This was a lot of new information to consider, and I thought about it all for a moment. "I.. Wow. That's a big question." I faltered some, but attempted to continue. "Well, for starters, I have been completely oblivious to anyone's affections while at school, regardless of them being a teacher or a student.. I guess I've just been..." I looked her up and down, taking in the gorgeous green eyes, freckled cheeks and soft pink lips that always kept me up at night. "Preoccupied." I stated, feeling breathless all of a sudden. I still held her attention while also holding her close to me, and I felt as if we should sit down, or separate while I talked, since the topic of this conversation was very dangerous ground for me. Especially seeing how the object of my affection was already in my arms.

I looked towards the window, realizing that the sun had already set, and the room was covered in a low-lit light from the fireplace, making everything seem more intimate. These wintery afternoons never lasted long. I came to a stop, but my hands squeezed Michaela's hips once more, stroking the soft skin there and making me wish I could keep her near my body instead of trying to be responsible. "How about I make you a cup of tea and we take this conversation into the kitchen? We should also think about an early dinner since we skipped lunch and just had snacks. I should make you something healthy.. Do you like salmon?" I asked, trying to put off the original topic a little longer and turning to walk into the other room after I had switched off the radio. I opened up the fridge, seeing the fish there, and waved my wand to start magically preparing our dinner this time instead of doing it by hand, which we preferred to do, since it was more fun to work together and talk. But I had a feeling she wouldn't go for that this time around, seeing how Michaela was still looking at me expectantly.

"Would you like peppermint or green tea, Love?" I asked. "Oh-uhm.. green is fine, Charlie. Thank you." She smiled at me hesitantly before going to take her place at the table. As soon as her tea was done, I poured myself a shot of whisky, and sat down beside her. "So.. where were we?" I asked, taking a small sip to savor the taste. Michaela observed my actions, and her mouth parted open some as she watched me lick my own lips. "You, uh.. were explaining about your love life." She smiled cheekily up at me, and I blushed, meeting her eyes before dropping them to my glass again. "Would it be enough to say that I just work too much and don't have time for dating?" I tried, and she shook her head no, grinning at my poor excuse.

Sighing deeply, I started again. "I used to date some. Nothing too serious, but I had fun.. No woman ever kept my attention for very long, unfortunately. My work has always been very important to me, and even before then, my love for dragons and the need to know everything about them kind of hindered my dating days during Hogwarts. I had few short-lived romances, but nothing past.. well, nothing as deep and meaningful as actual love. It was purely.." I struggled to explain this, realizing that she was still younger than me. I'm sure a young adult like her knew of sex, and while I got the strong impression that this angel was a virgin, I knew she wasn't completely oblivious. Before I could answer though, she provided one for me. "Purely physical, you mean?.." A deep, red blush appeared, but the smile was something else she couldn't hide, even though I noticed it was laced with an air of disappointment. If Michaela was truly jealous, I'd drink this entire bottle of whisky sitting beside me out of shock.

"Y-yes.." My speech stumbled, and I rubbed my neck in embarrassment. "I feel like I shouldn't be telling you that, though." I mumbled. "I'm eighteen, Sir.. I know I'm young and inexperienced, but I do read, and my friends talk. I'm sure it's probably inappropriate to talk about with your student, but I feel as though this relationship between us is well past being formal after everything you've helped me with. And I guess we're sort of friends now, and future colleagues, are we not?" Michaela stated, with an air of surprising maturity, and only a slight tremble from the hand holding her mug. I was proud of her confidence.

"You are correct.." I trailed off, admiring her. Michaela held my gaze, waiting for me to carry on. "I've had some dates and a relationship or two here at the Reserve as well. Again, none of them going anywhere special or even resulting in a profound infatuation. And if you ever meet the dark haired bartender that works at the pub in the village, you'll see the results from my lack of dedication to courtship." Saying that, I downed my drink and poured another, groaning at the memory. "I take it she's not your biggest fan anymore?" That sweet giggle was going to be the death of me. I wanted to kiss her feisty, little mouth for that comment, and then kiss Michaela some more just for the hell of it. Her smirk was looking delicious and my desire for her was forever increasing the longer we talked.

"Precisely. She even tried to poison me once." At this, her pretty eyes were wide as saucers, and I chuckled. "She was a potions major. Sienna's talent lies in mixology. Her drinks can be either very intoxicating or extremely healthy. She caters to both clientele. I know it's a pub but she also makes a delicious smoothie."

"Why didn't you stay with her? Minus your near death experience, she sounds exciting.." Michaela trailed off, and I had this feeling she was a tad insecure from this revelation, but her curiosity outweighed it. "She was beautiful and funny, but a bit intense. She got very jealous of my coworkers as well.. Even flipped out when I brought a long-haired redhead in to have a drink with me one evening. She was embarrassed by that one though.. I can't blame her for not knowing that was my brother Bill. He's very tall and graceful, and uses more conditioner in his hair than his wife. I guess he could appear to be an attractive female from behind to some people. I know enough men have hit on him before they've seen his face. I think that's why he started working out a bit more. He's definitely gained more muscle over the past few years. Still doesn't stop men from hitting on him though.." I rubbed my chin in thought and took another drink.

Michaela burst out laughing from this story, and I was glad to hear it. It was a beautiful laugh and always made me happy. "Trust me, he will never live that down." I laughed with her, and waited for Michaela to compose herself before I continued. "But that's not the only reason I broke up with her.. I couldn't.. I had trouble after my brother Fred passed during the war. I threw myself into my work after taking a considerable amount of time off to stay with my family and help everyone out. We all even went to therapy together. It was beneficial for all of us, I think.. Ron and I helped George with the store for a while until he could begin to manage on his own again, and all of us visited with our parents to make sure they were okay. It was really tough for Mum and Dad. It was tough on all of us. But to lose a child that young.. I couldn't imagine.   
We all have a hole in us where Fred was once in our hearts. If we didn't have one another, I don't know how we could have survived it.." My voice had gotten rougher the longer I talked, and I was surprised with myself on how much I was sharing with her.

Michaela didn't seem bothered by this confession though. She moved closer to me, grabbed my hand, softly rubbed circles on my skin with her thumb, and waited patiently for me to go on. "When I had tried telling all of this to Sienna, she barely understood. I know she probably tried, but.. She wanted me to put it behind me and move on. Looked at me with contempt for being away for so long, and was upset that I was still sad about it all. And then when I threw myself into my work even more than before, and stopped being as fun and frivolous with my time like I had been, she would fight with me. I ended it with her because of that, and she didn't understand why, which was odd.. It's not a relationship if there's no understanding. And I didn't have the mental capacity to keep on fighting since losing Fred. After having a short-lived relationship with her, I honestly haven't tried with anyone else." I sighed, feeling like a weight had been lifted from my chest. I looked at Michaela with new eyes, wondering if this girl was more beneficial for my health than I had realized..

"I know this going to make me sound like a low-life, but I've really only had quick dates and.. one-night stands in the past few years. When I feel.." I looked at Michaela, still holding my hand, the warmth from her skin both healing and sensual. I felt guilty all of a sudden.. "Shit, Sweetheart. Again, I shouldn't be explaining this to you. It's not right." With my free hand, I pinched the bridge of my nose and shook my head, unable to meet her gaze. "Charlie.. you're only human." She said softly, and I looked up at her, seeing that her eyes held no judgement. How she could appear both young and innocent while having a mind and soul that were mature beyond her eighteen years in some aspects was simply shocking.   
"Michaela, you don't-" I tried to explain my previous reasoning, but she stopped me.

"I know our age difference seems large at times, but ten or eleven years between us isn't a lot when it comes to what you've had to go through. I couldn't imagine going through losing someone like that and having it affect my life in such a way at any age. And you're still young. My heart hurts for you, realizing whatever pain you felt and still feel. It hurts for your entire family. I'm so sorry that you've had to endure this at all.. And when it comes to needing comfort, no one will blame you for it. I will never judge you for it, I promise. I don't know much of it, but I'm sure that physical touch can be.. healing." Michaela blushed at the chosen wording, but kept on. "You don't have to explain yourself for having your needs met. It's natural." She said, like talking about her professor's sexual habits was just casual dinner conversation.

I squeezed Michaela's hand, silently thanking her for being kind. "If you were already working here, it'd be different. But as my student? I've crossed so many lines with you that I've forgotten where the line even begins and ends." I stood up, going to check on the food. It still had some time left, so I paced a little, stretching my legs in the small kitchen while Michaela watched me engage with my well-acquainted nervous habit. Feeling stuck at the table, she walked through my path, and propped herself up on the open counter, and I watched her smooth legs dangle as the tiny black skirt rode high up on her sexy thighs, gifting me with all the skin I could ask for without appearing indecent.

We were both silent for a little while, going a minute or so without actually speaking. Then Michaela shook her head, and I witnessed some sort of resolve kick in. "So what if we've crossed some lines." She raised her hands up, not hiding her exasperation. It's because of you that I didn't go through something traumatic. You're the reason other students aren't whispering about me in the halls. You've set me up with my dream job, made me feel safer and more secure than any other man I've ever met. You seem to be more important than anyone I've dreamed about, and for that reason alone I owe it to myself to figure you out. You're a mystery, Charlie. You are so kind to me for whatever reason I can't seem to fathom.. I'm comfortable around you. It feels like I've known your soul for an eternity. I don't care what lines we've crossed. We have this friendship.. or something more rare and undefinable that we're unaware of. I'm okay with it, Sir. Now, are you?" Michaela asked, challenging me. It was hard to accept the challenge with the respectful name tagged on at the end, and even more difficult to comprehend when I felt my pants tightening from her tone of voice and words making my cock ache for her.

My fist tightened, and I felt my control slipping. "Baby girl, if you and I don't keep a clear line, the speculation we'll end up receiving from all sides until you graduate in a few months is going to take a toll. I love... I absolutely fucking love being able to talk to you. You have this way about you that I can't deny, it just helps me feel lighter and I think my soul is craving that from you. Ever since I met you, I've wanted to be near you, and keep you safe. I've wanted to get to know you better, Love. Being able to confess all of those thoughts that have been in my head for years has lifted a weight off my shoulders I didn't realize I was carrying around. Do you know how good that feels? Knowing you were able to help me with that? I want to tell you everything. But it's extremely arduous to try and balance that feeling with the fact that I'm your Professor, and soon to be your colleague as well. I have to protect you and your needs. You're young, and I don't want to have anyone think of you in a bad light. They're going to see it. See.. us. Together. And think the worst of our relationship. If anyone even overheard us having an indecent conversation, even if it was silly or playful, it would look bad. If I'm telling you about my sex life now, I could slip up and say something worse. Then a conversation between close friends gets taken out of context and I will absolutely not allow your innocence and reputation to be ruined." My voice had risen some, but Michaela held my eyes with her own and didn't look away, the determination to be fully accepted by me not waning. How this conversation got this heated, I do not know..

It felt like electricity was crackling between us, and for a moment, I saw that same damn, beautiful chain linking around our wrists again, as if it were trying to pull us closer. I felt the urge to be near Michaela, to grab onto and hold her in my arms, even while the same urge to yell my worries and frustrations to the sky were still clouding my thoughts.

"Why do you think I'm this sweet, innocent thing that can't take others speculations and gossip. I know I'm technically an adult, but I've literally been in the Wizarding version of high school. Around other actual female witches. Do you think I haven't been subjected to rumors and gossip? I've been called a slut for being polite to another girls' boyfriend before. I get made fun of for being the only American in this school. When I tell people my dad is dead and wasn't present in my life, they give me pitying looks or think I have daddy issues. And even after us experiencing another war, I still get looked down on by some pure-blood students for having a mom and half-siblings who are all muggles. Everyone faces this crap, no matter where you go to school. It doesn't matter who your friends are, your social standing is irrelevant, and even if I try to be the nicest person I can everyday of my life, no matter how I'm feeling, I'm still going to be some undeserving, slutty, American bitch in someone's eyes. I am not immune to ridicule, Charlie. But I am strong. I have endured worse, and if I have to fight to be your.. friend.. To be close to you, then I'm going to do it. Make no mistake on that."

The anger in my sweet Hufflepuff lowered to a simmer then, and she took a deep breath after making her stance clear. I could almost feel heat radiating off of her.. I knew she had to be a decently powerful witch from her academic achievements, but I could feel the energy just from standing a foot away from Michaela. Witches and Wizards' powers could sometimes get out of hand by losing control of their emotions.. and even though I knew she was trying her hardest to keep it managed, it was impossible to ignore how compelling Michaela's aura had become.

My voice was gravelly when I spoke. I was both nervous and turned on by the pretty Witch sitting on my counter. Resisting her was beginning to hurt.. "Love.. you and I are on some rocky waves right now. I don't think-" and then I was cut off again.   
"I know you use it as a term of endearment, but don't call me 'Love' right now. I'm mad at you, and rightly so. You're being difficult." She huffed, crossing her arms under those perky breasts, pushing them up and capturing my attention for a second before I was able to snap out of it. "I'm being difficult? Are you serious right now? I don't even know why we're fighting. Also, I'm still your professor. You should be at least a bit more respectful towards me. You naughty, little.." I trailed off, grumbling, feeling off center in my emotions now. I raked my hands through my hair, feeling how disheveled it was from my being frustrated. The sexual attraction I had towards her was also being amplified. Michaela's hot, little mouth was somehow making me mad and aroused..

"Hmm.." Michaela made a thoughtful noise. "Bullshit." Was all she said, and she leaned her head back onto the cabinet door behind her, shutting her eyes for a moment. "Excuse me, what did you just say?" I asked incredulously, my eyes and mouth opened wide in shock. She had a glint in her eye when she looked at me again, as if this playful fight was exciting her every step of the way too. Michaela smirked at me, seeing the gears turning in my mind. "You heard me, Sir." She said, somewhat mockingly. "I said, 'Bullshit.' Until you can learn to look at me like an adult, and stop treating me like some naive, little girl whose innocence you feel a constant need to protect, then why should I be respectful? I'm tired of being the sweet, polite student that never causes any problems. I'm fucking mad right now. I want you to stop coddling me. It's bad enough that you've been saving me around every corner.. not that I haven't been appreciative. But I don't want to always be seen as a kid in your eyes that you have to take care of, Charlie. I want to be your equal." Michaela said with finality, and I stared at her in frustrated awe.

Then something in me finally snapped, causing me to put myself right in front of her. I slammed both hands on the counter on either side of her bare thighs, trapping her there as I got face to face with this gorgeous, angry little nymph, our lips barely a few inches apart. "Goddammit, Michaela. I know you're not a kid. Don't you understand how fucking upset I am, knowing that the first, devastatingly beautiful woman that I've had actual feelings for in years, out of anyone, it has to be my barely legal, eighteen year old student. My luck is unfathomably terrible. And you are so fucking.. sweet. So pure, to even have the salacious thoughts that I have had about you as you sit next to me or sleep in my arms, should send me to hell. No, I don't think of you as my equal. Do you know why? Because you are so far high up on this golden pedestal that I feel wrong for even trying to reach it. I've turned into one of those cliche professors that lusts after one of their students, and just for that damning reason alone, I don't deserve you. But I want you more than anything real and living that I've ever desired in my entire life. I've tried to stop feeling this way, to protect you from these thoughts that overpower me.. But I can't. Even after you leave, I don't think the yearning that you've created in me will ever cease to exist. And please, don't ever say that I cannot call you 'Love.' Because it's the closest I can get to calling you mine without breaking down the last thing that's holding me up.."

I closed my eyes then, trying to breathe as I quickly came to terms with the fact that my deepest, darkest secret was out to the one person I was terrified of discovering it. I could deal with getting fired for the feelings I held for Michaela, or face my family's scorn for my lustful ways, but the girl who I couldn't get out of my head finally understanding that I had less than friendly intentions towards her? My heart wanted to stop working for fear of the outcome.

But then, I felt the gentlest touch on my right hand, and Michaela's fingers timidly intertwined with my own. I opened my eyes, gazing into hers immediately, and saw a look of wonder and disbelief swimming in those deep green depths. I licked my lips, my mouth feeling dry and unable to produce a single intelligible word while waiting for the worst to happen. I could barely hear Michaela when she whispered my name over the sound of my own heart wildly beating in my chest. "Charlie?.." she questioned, unsure of what to say next. Michaela then opted for no words at all... instead, giving me the slightest nod, and placed her left hand on my chest, with her fingers bunching up my shirt in her fist as if it were a lifeline. She looked down nervously, and by the time her eyes met mine again, my lips were suddenly on hers, tasting that sweetness I'd only dreamed about.

Michaela's mouth was so soft, it almost didn't feel real. But it was, and she began kissing me back with an energy that surprised me. If there was any doubt in my mind about her not having any attraction or passion towards me that mirrored my own for her, those worries were quickly laid to rest. My little Hufflepuff had so much fire in her that I felt it burning from every little move she made. My hands were instantly on her bare thighs, right above where her long socks ended, and slowly roamed upwards to rest on the soft curves of her hips that were left uncovered by her top. I felt Michaela's legs part so I could fit perfectly between them, and she instinctively wrapped them around my waist, locking me there, not understanding why but needing to feel me closer. And for the first time, she felt my large, hardened cock up against the fabric of her lace-covered little pussy. She gasped and moaned into my mouth when I moved against her there, finally realizing what it was like first hand to have a grown man be sexually attracted to her.

One of my hands trailed a little lower again, and began to tease her thigh, rubbing it in tiny circles before finally going back up and behind to cup that marvelous ass. "Oh, god.. Charlie.." Michaela breathed, excitement evident in her shy voice, and she boldly ground against me, preferring to allow her body to find the right words that her tongue could not.

My other hand cupped her blushing cheek, and stroked it as she allowed my tongue to enter her mouth, letting me dominate her there and lead the way to a new hidden pleasure. She tasted like the honey from her tea, and mixed with the whisky still on my tongue, the taste was intoxicating. I wrapped my hand in her long, auburn curls then, and gently held her still at the nape of her neck while my mouth kissed down her jawline towards her collar bone. I then made my way further, using my lips to seduce Michaela slowly while I kissed her freckled shoulder, allowing both of us to quickly realize that this was her favorite spot. She gasped, and let out this slight moan which sounded so innocent and girlish, it made my cock twitch against her young cunt in response. And Michaela definitely did not mistake that movement.

In turn, I began to slip the straps to the flimsy red top that she wore down her shoulders, enjoying the slow burn before fully being engulfed in her promising fire. I switched to her other shoulder, swiftly kissing her down it and eliciting the same sexy response, but then chose to watch, realizing that I needed to witness the unveiling of Michaela's perfect, nubile breasts. Her sweet, little nipples were straining against the top, and she was watching my face enjoy every hot centimeter that I revealed. I had her shirt barely being held up by the delicious peaks of her tits, and I could see the top of the curve of each mound of young flesh on display, along with the slight pink color of her areoles that were just within my grasp, when I felt her squirm and under my touch, and gasp worriedly. It was so quiet and almost went unnoticed, and I half wanted to leave this sudden worrisome thought alone, and finally see what I'd been dreaming about..

But I would never want to make Michaela uncomfortable, no matter how hard it was to resist the urge to strip this lovely young woman bare and have my way with her right on top of this counter. I slowly slid the straps back up, and tugged the edge of her shirt up just enough to cover those flawless breasts. Michaela looked up at me, confused, and I kissed her deeply again, stunning her. I wrapped my arms around her back, embracing her fully, and she embraced me all the same. I then used my right hand and cupped her sweet face, heated by this new found love that almost consumed us entirely. Michaela closed her eyes and relaxed into my touch, turning her head just enough to place a few soft kisses on the palm of my hand.

It was a beautiful, intimate exchange, one I couldn't even imagine having an hour ago, when we were still in the living room while she learned to Waltz. She looked into my eyes then, and conveyed how much she desired to kiss me again with just one glance. But I had felt the worry she held, the insecurities about moving too quickly without her even having to explain. I wasn't upset, just concerned about her needs.

"Michaela.. oh, baby.. God, you feel divine." I whispered, and she blushed, her shyness unable to stay away. "I know this is a.. sudden development. But I think you and I need to take a few breaths, maybe eat dinner before it gets cold, and talk a little about what we're feeling. I am.. truly in awe of how perfect you are. Never in my life could I have imagined what might have transpired here today. All I want to do is carry you into my bed and show you how good it feels to discover exactly how to much I adore you.. But we have plenty of time for that. And if you're not one hundred percent comfortable with my touch, I will wait however long it takes for you to feel safe in my embrace.. Or if you prefer, I'll just hold you all night until it's time to go back to Hogwarts. How does that sound, Love?.."

"It sounds.. like a good plan. Every last bit of it.. And I'm sorry if I felt nervous all of a sudden. I'm a bit... inexperienced, as you can tell. But everything you were doing felt like heaven. I want more of it, I just.. need to talk to you a little about it all, I think." She happily agreed. I smiled down at her, feeling completely free from how honest we were now being with one another. I wasn't sure where we would go from here, but finally seeing how Michaela felt the same way had me feeling more hopeful than ever before. I kissed her once more, slow and deep, groaning from how wonderful she felt, and Michaela returned my affection, wrapping her arms around me as I picked her up off the counter, still kissing her as I sat her down gently back in her chair at the table.

Parting from her lips felt like a wound that wouldn't heal until we could rejoin once more, but having the knowledge that we had the time to sit and talk about our future excited me and put my mind at ease. I was thankful for this time we had been given, especially since it had helped us finally unite in ways I didn't realize were possible until a few moments ago. And I was more than ready to start this new journey with Michaela by my side.

•••

**Author's Note:**

> Will be continuing on with this story. :) Please check out my stories on Wattpad if you want to read more, at Tempest_Rising -Thank you for your support!


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